adulation

noun

ˌa-jə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce adulation (audio)
Definition of adulationnext
1
as in adoration
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person the pathetic adulation of the leader of the cult by her misguided followers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in praise
excessive praise more objective critics have observed that the artist never deserved the adulation heaped upon her mediocre paintings

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adulation The people standing included A-list Hollywood stars and world leaders, all giving the Prince and Princess of Wales a very public show of respect and adulation. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 Each member derives her own realizations from this experience, with its dual crucibles of grindingly hard work and pop adulation. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 25 June 2026 Trump seemed to enjoy the adulation. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 15 June 2026 In a way that no championship trophy ever could, Kirby Smart has an opportunity to take action that would bring him undying respect and adulation. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for adulation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulation
  1. adoration
  2. praise
  3. worship
  4. acclaim
  5. worshipping
  6. flattery
Noun
  • And yet, when Szumowska and Englert portray Fyodor’s reaction to the couple’s pregnancy, the birth of their child, and a subsequent tragedy, Anna’s adoration for this utterly flawed man almost feels justified.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So, too, do the antics of his estate manager (a buoyant Sam Adegoke), always concocting money-making schemes, and the wide-eyed adoration of the girl next door (Amelia Mason, deftly balancing naïveté with seductiveness), who wants to save him.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of adoration
Noun
  • Sony revived Resident Evil last month and HBO drew big viewership and critical praise with The Last of Us, just to name a couple of recent success stories.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Posters of Kate Moss photographed by Juergen Teller have been plastered over the city and praise for the exhibition has been handed largely to Enninful.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of praise
Noun
  • Hegseth has infused his evangelical Christianity into his leadership of the Pentagon, hosting Christian worship services for employees and often speaking of the United States as a Christian nation.
    — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • For the first time in 25 years, the number of people attending in-person worship in the US has increased, according to a new study from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of worship
Noun
  • The buzzy portrait of Tesla, X and SpaceX chief Elon Musk premiered at Venice to critical acclaim, currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (off 28 reviews, see Deadline’s here).
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Like Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong, Widow’s Bay standout Kate O’Flynn could parlay her prestige-TV acclaim to Oscar attention for Tender Loving Care.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of acclaim
Noun
  • They may have been kept open throughout the year for rituals commemorating important dates and festivals, as well as the worshipping of the dead.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This, too, is a marvel of the modern Jewish state – the unusual multitasking of commuting and worshipping.
    — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of worshipping
Noun
  • Manipulation, escalation, flattery and vindictiveness are not the unavoidable price of sounding natural.
    — Puneet Gaur, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Tom Cruise's recent effusive praise for Kate Middleton was not just Hollywood flattery, according to royal experts.
    — Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of flattery

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Cite this Entry

“Adulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulation. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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