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
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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
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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
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He was so adored, in fact, that Levinson kept him on after his character was originally meant to die at the end of season 1.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
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But Reef is also five years sober from a destructive heroin addiction that the adoring public thankfully is unaware of.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Such institutional prejudice often surfaces, in ways both brazen and subtle, when Muslims attempt to build new places of worship or renovate existing ones.—
Connor Letourneau,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
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Alston made use of her communications acumen in her volunteer work for her longtime church, Salem Baptist, now widely known as House of Hope after its worship center’s name.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even if the taxes were suspended, their reinstatement could hit drivers at a bad time, and no one likes to see taxes go up again, Hoffer said.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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It was coined by friends&, a Canadian blogger-musician who really likes coining things, and whose label, dawk26, doubles as a conceptual testing ground.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Cornice headboards are trending again, praised for a classic, layered look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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It's called assassination by adoration.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
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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
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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
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The kid in question was Dustin Pedroia, who Murphy coached at Arizona State from 2002-04, and who Durbin idolized growing up.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The morning show host congratulated Sophia and Isabella — who went to different high schools — on their accomplishments with individual social media posts.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Orbán, who has led Hungary for 16 years, conceded and congratulated Magyar less than three hours after polls closed.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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