as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
the instant deification by the press of the country's newest war hero
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Recent Examples of deification
The mountain has been widely used by the Kim dynasty to showcase the family’s own lore and deification.
—
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Depictions of breastfeeding in Western art are usually associated with the baby Jesus and Mary, apart from others in gilded deification.
—Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
So there has always been an attack on the present and a deification of the past on our way to saying that things are getting worse.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Hustle culture and the ever-shortening form of advice have led to the deification of undying devotion—whether to a cause, a goal, or a priority.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deification
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Depictions of breastfeeding in Western art are usually associated with the baby Jesus and Mary, apart from others in gilded deification.
—Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
So there has always been an attack on the present and a deification of the past on our way to saying that things are getting worse.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Hustle culture and the ever-shortening form of advice have led to the deification of undying devotion—whether to a cause, a goal, or a priority.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deification
Noun
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Near Milan’s Navigli district, it has been officially recognized as a place of worship by the city since 2000.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
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From attending rallies and protests to offering safe spaces for people to gather, worship and counsel one another, faith leaders have often found themselves on the front lines.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Taylor arrives as a legitimate Oscar threat with the kind of adoration and critics reviews that make voters take notice.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
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Over the course of the show, the pair develop a dysfunctional, surprisingly critical father-son dynamic, despite Gene's compulsive desire for adoration and Barry's, well, need to kill.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By the nail holes above and beside the worshiping altar, the household hung garlands.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
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Afternoons are made for fresh piña coladas, languid sun worshipping, and offshore adventures on motorboats fully stocked with snorkels, fins, and local beer.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
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But the Turkish big man is also representative of a more meaningful trend, which was on display again this week, even before the Nuggets visited Houston — a recent proliferation of Jokic idolatry throughout the sport.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deification. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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