idolize

verb

idol·​ize ˈī-də-ˌlīz How to pronounce idolize (audio)
idolized; idolizing

transitive verb

: to worship as a god
broadly : to love or admire to excess
the common people whom he so idolized The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

: to practice idolatry
idolization noun
idolizer noun

Examples of idolize in a Sentence

an actor who is idolized by millions she blindly idolized her older sister, refusing to acknowledge any of her faults
Recent Examples on the Web Because that has always been more idolized and embraced than being a Black person in Latin America. Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 28 Sep. 2024 And that’s before Deku realizes Dark Might even shares the same face as All Might, albeit a twisted, mirror image of the man he’s idolized for so long. David Opie, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2024 And when a fellow inmate at Arkham, a young man who idolized Fleck, another shadow who seemed like the obvious choice to be the Joker, is murdered by the guards at Arkham, reality sets in for Fleck. Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Oct. 2024 Diller idolizes his grandfather, Harlan, but resents his mother. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for idolize 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idolize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of idolize was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near idolize

Cite this Entry

“Idolize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolize. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

idolize

verb
idol·​ize ˈīd-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce idolize (audio)
idolized; idolizing
: to worship as an idol : love or admire too much
idolization
ˌīd-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən
noun
idolizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on idolize

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