HERO WORSHIP Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

hero-worship 1 of 2

verb

ˈhir-(ˌ)ō-ˌwər-ship

Definition of hero-worship

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

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

hero worship

2 of 2

noun

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

Verb

When The Athletic visited Tashkent for the March international break, the hero-worship hadn’t yet ceased; Cannavaro was applauded both into and out of the press conference room by journalists, while some asked for selfies. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 1 June 2026 In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship. — Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025

Noun

The hundreds of millions of people who follow her are aware of this disconnect and embrace the contrived aspect of her persona in a way that’s more meta than classic Hollywood hero worship. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026 This is the vibe that Edgar Wright is chasing with his version of The Running Man, which hews closely to the original text with a fidelity bordering on hero worship. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hero-worship

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship

Verb

The two shared a friendship adored by fans, often seen greeting each other with an affectionate kiss on the lips whether on TV programs or on the red carpet.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Stewart was adored by his collaborators and the public alike.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of adore

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
As in the case of that picture, East of Eden is backed up by masterful screen storytelling that can hardly be overpraised and is complicated by no message that can be termed controversial.

— Jack Moffitt, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2023

Definition of overpraise

Noun

In the north, worship centers on the goddess Lakshmi, who symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026
Some walked hundreds of kilometers to establish places of worship far from the comforts of the world, spending years in prayer and contemplation before eventually being buried here.

— Avantika Chaturvedi, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of worship

Verb

And Democrats of all stripes, the ones that Faiz likes, the one that Lis likes, and any in between, were the happy beneficiaries of it.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Others don't like the implication that the event is somehow a ruse to meet a significant other, rather than a way to just meet people in general.

— Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of like

Verb

And several places in the state’s mountains were praised for their fall foliage, CharlotteFive previously reported.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Nov. 2026
Jim praised the company's efforts to keep prices down for consumers battling the elevated costs of everyday items from groceries to gasoline.

— Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of praise

Noun

Clay/Ali remains one of the most indelible personalities of the 20th century, a man whose every public utterance and movement have become the subject of adoration and imitation.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
His face appearing on the big screen was naturally greeted by cheers of adoration from the stands and would normally have been a pure reason to smile.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of adoration

Verb

The person described employees in tears, noting that many had come to idolize Huang and regard him as integral to Nvidia's identity.

— Kif Leswing,Annie Palmer,Kevin Breuninger,Samantha Subin,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 12 Nov. 2026
Alanis Morissette idolized John Ritter for his work on Three’s Company.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of idolize

Verb

Don’t ‘Bless Texas’ Killing Machine’ In his November 4 letter, Hood began by congratulating Hinojosa on her historic victory.

— Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Instead, the union congratulated the mayor-elect and said its president, Ricky Mendoza, had reached out to establish a dialogue with her.

— Teresa Liu, Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of congratulate

Browse Nearby Words

heroizing

hero-worship

hero worship

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hero-worship

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

boilerplate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes