1
as in to adore
to love or admire too much
people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overpraise
to praise too much
a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
once the object of uncritical hero worship, the aging quarterback now faces the derision of his team's fickle fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 hero-worship
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
The state media and government representatives push militarism and self-sacrifice; school curricula endlessly celebrate Russian war victories; theaters obediently stage works of communist-era patriotic authors; and cities display army recruitment banners and hero worship posters.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Verb
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
Bruins players receive their share of glory and hero worship.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
The state media and government representatives push militarism and self-sacrifice; school curricula endlessly celebrate Russian war victories; theaters obediently stage works of communist-era patriotic authors; and cities display army recruitment banners and hero worship posters.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
-
And what's left is this core that adores each other.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Presidents are usually removed from voters, separated by layers of security and surrounded by adoring subordinates.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The result is sometimes overpraising, overprotection, and overindulging children, mixing emotional intensity with economic privilege in ways that breed entitlement.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Know-nothings pretend that Schrader’s Bressonian mannerisms reveal the spiritual depths of contemporary crisis, when, in fact, Master Gardener repeats the same social-collapse paranoia that made secular reviewers overpraise the religious, racial, suicide-bomber topics of First Reformed.—
Armond White,
National Review,
24 May 2023
Noun
-
Fortunately, most of the affected houses of worship have alternate parking lot entrances that aren’t on White Road.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
He was set to appear at a house of worship days after getting in a fight with the leader of another Christian denomination.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Adam Wharton, 22, is liked by people at United for his progressive passing and decisiveness on the ball.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Newsom likes to talk about us as the fourth-biggest economy in the world.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The response was praised by Republican politicians, who widely denounced the content of the chats, which was filled with slurs for Black, Jewish and gay people and included graphic calls for violence against Black people.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Cornice headboards are trending again, praised for a classic, layered look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It's called assassination by adoration.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Their adoration, combined with spending power, has created serious commercial opportunity for labels and brands that know how to tap in.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Growing up in Harlem, Quié idolized Gabriel, the son of sharecroppers and one of twenty kids.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Growing up, McIlroy idolized the 82-time PGA Tour winner and aimed to emulate his game after Woods.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Borissov conceded defeat and congratulated the election winner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday congratulated Radev on his election victory.—
Veselin Toshkov,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
