deify

1 to love or admire too much materialistic people who deify money Synonyms adore, adulate, canonize, idolize, dote (on), hero-worship, worshipRelated Words appreciate, cherish, esteem, prize, treasure, value; fancy, favor, like, prefer; regard; hallow, respect, revere, venerate; approve, endorse (also indorse), supportNear Antonyms abhor, abominate, despise, detest, disdain, dislike, hate, loathe; belittle, deprecate, disparage, misprize, put down

2 to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power some ancient pagans deified such objects of nature as trees and rivers Synonyms adore, worship, glorify, revere, reverence, venerateRelated Words admire, honor, love, regard, respect; apotheosize, canonize, dignify, exalt, lionize, magnify; extol (also extoll), laud, praise; delight, gratify, please, satisfyNear Antonyms blaspheme, desecrate, profane, violate; affront, dishonor, disrespect, insult, offend, outrage, pique, ridicule, scorn, slight; displease; defame, disparage, libel, malign, slander, slur, smear

3 to assign a high status or value to the sense of entitlement felt by athletes who have been deified all their lives Synonyms aggrandize, canonize, exalt, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnifyRelated Words boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift; heighten, intensify; idealize, romanticize, sanitize, sugarcoat; acclaim, extol (also extoll), honor, laud, praiseNear Antonyms belittle, decry, depreciate, detract, disparage, minimizeAntonyms abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate