adore

verb

ə-ˈdȯr

adored; adoring

Synonyms of adore next

transitive verb

: to worship or honor as a deity or as divine

: to regard with loving admiration and devotion

He adored his wife.

: to be very fond of

adores pecan pie

adorer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for adore

revere, reverence, venerate, worship, adore mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully.

revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

Examples of adore in a Sentence

He's a good doctor. All his patients adore him. They adored shopping in all the boutiques.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

She is survived by her adoring husband, Doug; her children, Laura Whitney Backstrom and Greg Backstrom (Brian Farley); siblings, Rick (Mary Jo) Ungerman, Sandy (John) Corbett, Craig (Camille Benjamin) Ungerman, Mary Pat (Greg) Shepherd; and many nieces and nephews. —

Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Doctor Unicorn Soft Unicorn Hooded Bathrobe Unicorn fans will adore this cozy bathrobe that’s available in four color combinations. —

Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 Each pick is adored by travelers, wallet-friendly, and designed to keep you well-prepared for whatever weather comes your way during your next adventure, with prices starting as low as $14. —

Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2025 Spider-Man manages to stop the van from running into a bus using his amazing strength and steps out to an adoring crowd of New Yorkers celebrating him. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for adore

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aouren, adouren, borrowed from Anglo-French aurer, ahourer, adourer (with d restored from Latin), going back to Latin adōrāre "to plead with, appeal to, approach (a god) as a suppliant or worshipper, treat with reverence, admire," from ad- ad- + ōrāre "to pray to, beseech" — more at oration

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of adore was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Adore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adore. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

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Kids Definition

adore

verb

ə-ˈdō(ə)r

-ˈdȯ(ə)r

adored; adoring

: worship entry 2 sense 1

adore God

: to be very fond of

adoration

ˌad-ə-ˈrā-shən

noun

adorer

ə-ˈdōr-ər

-ˈdȯr-

noun

Etymology

from early French adourer "to adore," from Latin adorare (same meaning), from ad- "to" and orare "to speak, pray" — related to oracle, oration

Last Updated: 10 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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adore

verb

Synonyms

Examples of adore in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near adore

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition