Advertisement
Advertisement
idolize
/ ˈaɪdəˌlaɪz /
verb
- tr to admire or revere greatly
- tr to worship as an idol
- intr to worship idols
Discover More
Derived Forms
- iˈdolism, noun
- ˈidolist, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- idol·i·zation noun
- idol·izer noun
- self-idol·ized adjective
- self-idol·izing adjective
- un·idol·ized adjective
Discover More
Example Sentences
I idolize the profundity of Keatsian love letters, but on most days, affection is best communicated over a video call, watching my partner roll his eyes at my suggestion of the next trash TV we should watch.
The first issue is that idolizing professional athletes is bad for everyone.
If they want to idolize him, let them do it on private property.
He idolized running back LaDainian Tomlinson, and even though his parents made sure to keep him involved in other activities — baseball, soccer, track — football spoke to him in ways no other sport could.
Brina, internalizing the racism of her peers, idolized her father and was “cruel” to her mother.
Who would you rather see naked—a total stranger, or someone you think you know and idolize?
He tells me that it does weird him out when he meets those who—and he hates to use these words—idolize or worship him.
I get starstruck by women who I truly idolize, such as her and Kristen Wiig.
Most of the super fans I spoke to spend a lot of time on cam sites or pay for one-on-one Web chats with the girls they idolize.
As long as we have baby-boomer nostalgia and Internet gossip, the tendencies to idolize or vandalize will be indulged.
He looked as if his division might idolize him, as it was said they did.
What was becoming weirdly clear was that these two really did idolize M1k3y, and that they'd do anything I said.
He does so, and finds there a little girl, whom he believes to be his own child, and whom he at once begins to idolize.
But the English people idolize Garibaldi, and receive him with a burst of enthusiasm unexampled in fervor.
Hitherto mankind has often been tempted by preconceived notions to idolize vain things.
Advertisement
Discover More
More About Idolize
What does idolize mean?
To idolize someone is to treat them with extreme admiration and devotion.
This sense of the word is based on the figurative use of the word idol to refer to a person, especially a famous celebrity such as a pop singer, whose fans are extremely devoted to them. The noun form idolization refers to this kind of hero worship. A synonym of this sense of idolize is the slang verb stan.
The words idol and idolize sometimes imply that such devotion is excessive, likening it to religious worship. This is based on the original sense of the word idol referring to an object or image, such as a statue, that is worshiped as the representation of a deity or god. The word idol can also refer to the deity or god that is being worshiped.
The worship of such an idol is sometimes called idolatry (or idol worship) and the people who do it can be called idolaters. The word idolize can also mean to practice idolatry, though it is much more commonly used in a figurative way. A synonym of this sense of idolize is idolatrize, but it is not commonly used.
In a religious context, words like idol and idolize are typically used in a negative, judgmental way, implying that the god that the idol represents is not actually real and that such worship is wrong or sinful.
Sometimes, idol is used in a metaphorical way to compare something to an object of religious devotion and worship, and idolize can also be used in this context, as in She idolizes money. This sense of the word is also used in a critical way.
A close synonym of all senses of the word idolize is worship.
Example: The trouble with idolizing people is that you start to model your behavior on them while ignoring their faults.
Where does idolize come from?
The first records of the word idolize come from the late 1500s. The word idol comes from the Greek eídōlon, meaning “image,” from eîdos, meaning “shape and form.” The suffix -ize means to “make,” “render,” or “convert into.”
Idolizing someone converts them into an idol—the subject of almost religious devotion. Idolize should not be confused with the verb idealize, which means to consider or represent something as perfect or without any flaws. Fans who idolize a star also tend to idealize them by ignoring their flaws or perhaps not recognizing them at all.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to idolize?
- idolization (noun)
- idolizer (noun)
- idol (noun)
What are some synonyms for idolize?
- worship
- idolatrize
- stan (when stan is used as a verb)
What are some words that share a root or word element with idolize?
What are some words that often get used in discussing idolize?
What are some words idolize may be commonly confused with?
How is idolize used in real life?
Idolize is commonly used in the context of extreme fans of pop stars. It often implies that such idolization is like religious worship. For this reason, it is often (though not always) used in a somewhat negative way.
The way some of you idolize celebrities is very shameful and embarrassing.
— Onion Cider (@abbietayo) December 15, 2020
There's so much to explore with #KPOP: dancing, singing, striking music videos, K-dramas, finely tuned images. And while South Korean pop idols work hard to gain more visibility in the U.S., will America ever idolize K-pop? I wrote about that here: https://t.co/zAbhGJVfIk pic.twitter.com/E6XVAqhBQ8
— Joshua Barajas (@Josh_Barrage) March 29, 2019
This was a really beautiful piece.
As a kid I idolized Lisa, she was so smart and different from the rest of her family, but they still loved each other at the end of the day. It was what every gay kid wanted growing up in the sticks.
We need more Lisa Simpsons in the world. https://t.co/UK1M9BgWHq
— Calvin (@calvinstowell) February 26, 2018
Try using idolize!
Is idolize used correctly in the following sentence?
“American teenagers idolized Elvis Presley as a rock-’n-roll icon in the 1950s.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse