IDOLATRY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

idolatry

noun

ī-ˈdä-lə-trē

Definition of idolatry

as in worship

excessive admiration of or devotion to a person fans of the team are well known for their idolatry of the quarterback

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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 idolatry Sometimes it has been connected with Catholic nationalism; at other times it has been promoted as the opposite — as an antidote to the idolatry of the state. — ABC News, 10 June 2026 The two groups displayed a large balloon near the mall of a Trump-like golden calf, a biblical reference to idolatry. — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice. — Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026 As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism. — Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for idolatry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idolatry

Noun

Hamilton said his sermons are in line with beliefs held by the Catholic Church, mainline Christian faiths and some evangelical houses of worship.

— Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Past and present Unfortunately, violence against Black places of worship is not relegated to America’s history.

— Jason Wollschleger, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of worship

Noun

Sabrina is no Dolly, which isn’t a knock but a comment on the impossibility of any new artist ever enjoying the level of admiration and adoration that Parton did for most of her life.

— David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
So Big Part of what made Dolly exceptional was her broad appeal and universal adoration.

— Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

With wide sidewalks and a friendly park sandwiched in the middle, this is the city’s best stroll for window shopping, people watching, and sun worshiping.

— Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
By the nail holes above and beside the worshiping altar, the household hung garlands.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026

Definition of worshipping

Browse Nearby Words

idolatries

idolatry

idolization

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“Idolatry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idolatry. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of idolatry

noun

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