adore

verb

ə-ˈdȯr How to pronounce adore (audio)
Definition of adorenext
1
as in to love
to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for an attentive, solicitous husband who clearly adores his wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to like
to love or admire too much adores her older sister so much that she cannot see her considerable faults

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to venerate
to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power the Roman soldier was beheaded for adoring the Christian god

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in I adore those earrings—wherever did you get them?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adore differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adore are reverence, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When could revere be used to replace adore?

The words revere and adore can be used in similar contexts, but revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When can reverence be used instead of adore?

While in some cases nearly identical to adore, 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

When would venerate be a good substitute for adore?

The meanings of venerate and adore largely overlap; however, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When is worship a more appropriate choice than adore?

In some situations, the words worship and adore are roughly equivalent. However, worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

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 adore People adored him and gravitated towards him. —Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026 Partenope Ristorante in downtown Dallas and Richardson Phil Rosenthal, star of the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, toured through Dallas in late January 2026 and told travel stories to an adoring audience. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026 Even Floridians who support Israel or adore Ron DeSantis should recognize the danger here. —Hiba Rahim, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026 My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world. —Emily St. Martin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adore
  1. love
  2. like
  3. venerate
  4. enjoy
  5. worship
  6. revere
  7. savor
  8. idolize
Verb
  • Gap CashSoft Oversized Chunky Cardigan My daughters also loved this soft, chunky cardigan from Gap, available in multiple colors.
    — Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 13 Feb. 2026
  • This administration loves its American flag, perhaps unlike any other before it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of love
Verb
  • Feltner likes the direction the Rockies are headed under a new front office and pitching staff as camp opens.
    — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Minnesota goodbye College hockey coaches generally don’t like to see their players leave school early for the professional ranks.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • Since becoming a global celebrity in the mid-’90s, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has become venerated for her restrained, aloof glamour.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
  • One example of a prominent woman in these writings is Thecla, venerated for her persistence, courage and influence.
    — Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of venerate
Verb
  • Purists should go into it expecting not a faithful adaptation, but a romp best enjoyed as romantasy fanfic.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Physically and socially active, the Madisons still enjoy going on dates, sharing meals with friends, attending concerts and monthly visits to senior center across Henry County.
    — Yolanda Harris, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • This is the reception rotunda for Steinway Hall, a landmarked interior, where generations of pianists came to worship their instrument, talk craft, perform, and play.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
  • After a childhood spent worshipping the Ramones and the Replacements, Billie Joe Armstrong co-founded Green Day with bassist Mike Dirnt in 1987.
    — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of worship
Verb
  • Despite some high-profile falls into disgrace, India’s spiritual leaders are widely revered.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Turning to coaching, they were revered at the New York Skating Club at Madison Square Garden, where they were known for their strict emphasis on figures and classical skating—and Brunet became known for his habit of smoking cigarettes in succession while demonstrating maneuvers.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of revere
Verb
  • Chris Seibert, whose 10 seasons as coach included four straight sectional titles and the 2021 Class 4A state championship, has been savoring that win.
    — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Leerdam wanted to savor her victory.
    — The Sports Desk, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of savor
Verb
  • Regenda grew up idolizing other Slovakian stars like Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra, and Zdeno Chara.
    — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The whole world loved him, idolized him.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of idolize

Browse Nearby Words

adorations
adore
adored
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Adore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adore. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on adore

Nglish: Translation of adore for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All