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
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Those studying this digital age of extremism said it is based in part on hero worship of those who have gone before them.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 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
Apatow’s descriptions of these early interviews are laced with self-deprecation and hero worship.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Those studying this digital age of extremism said it is based in part on hero worship of those who have gone before them.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
-
Still, their esoteric acid rock was revered and adored by their huge and loyal fanbase, known as Deadheads.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Leave it to a Housewife to find an adoring gay to glom on to.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 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
-
Try driving eastward, on Palmetto Park Road or Glades or Camino Real, to get to City Hall, the downtown library, Mizner Park, places of worship in east Boca or to our beautiful beaches.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Investigators said the shooter or shooters fled from the house of worship, likely traveling north on Redwood Road.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For solo travelers or anyone who likes an extra layer of security, these personal safety devices are practical, compact, and easy to use.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The Bears held just a walkthrough on Wednesday, surely with no heaters on the sideline, which is apparently the way Ben Johnson likes it.—
Matt Zahn,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During Glaser's interview with Stern, the shock jock praised her for mocking CBS News despite the Golden Globes airing on CBS.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Jackson also praised his son’s skills as a father in a 2022 interview with Tru Rock Revival.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In reality, Lawrence and Stone are longtime friends (and future collaborators) who haven't been shy about voicing their adoration for one another.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Jerry adoration of football is well documented, almost as much as his first true love — money.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her polished fashion sense, marked by sophisticated, minimalist pieces and a neutral color palette, has been idolized even decades after her death.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
31 Dec. 2025
-
But in October 2024, Vladimir Kramnik, a former Russian World Chess Champion who Naroditsky grew up idolizing, began publicly insinuating that Naroditsky might be using computer assistance during online games.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The pair exchanged smiles and kisses as the accolade was engraved, while Chalamet also congratulated fellow winner Paul Thomas Anderson, who took home the Best Screenplay award for One Battle After Another.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Trump congratulated Microsoft on its efforts to keep prices in check, suggesting that other companies will make similar commitments.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
