as in adoring
reflecting great admiration or devotion
the deifying descriptions of military heroes that are often published in wartime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worshipping
to love or admire too much
materialistic people who deify money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in venerating
to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power
some ancient pagans deified such objects of nature as trees and rivers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in elevating
to assign a high status or value to
the sense of entitlement felt by athletes who have been deified all their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deifying
Adjective
-
Mom and daughter share adoring glances at an event to celebrate International Women's Day in London.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026 -
But a falling out with former owner Glen Taylor kept him from returning to his ‘Sota to give adoring fans another chance to thank him for 14 seasons with No. 21 on his back and Minnesota in his heart.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cage fans already knew the actor could play twisted roles well, but his demented performance as the Satan-worshipping killer still disturbed and delighted audiences.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
One raunchy session from 1975 with a lover named Mike Karton begins with Peter worshipping Karton’s jockstrap in his Second Avenue loft.—
Andrew Durbin,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jellicle Ball joins that lineage, inviting its audience to experience the joys of the Black and Latino ball scene while venerating its bittersweet roots.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Exquisite dribblers such as Olise need protecting and venerating.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Jewish Theological Seminary has named Rabbi Mike Uram as its next chancellor, elevating a Jewish educator best known for his time as executive director of the University of Pennsylvania Hillel to lead Conservative Judaism’s flagship university and rabbinical school.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
What was initially thought to be a small number of caves has been proven otherwise through ongoing research, elevating Nottingham’s historical significance (with a reference to Robin Hood attached).—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
That’s part of the charm of idolizing one of the sport’s greatest ball movers.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Having access to the network of former UConn superstars is still surreal for Vukosa, who grew up idolizing Breanna Stewart and attends the same high school as Hall of Famer Sue Bird and WNBA MVP Tina Charles.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His whole combo — coddling yet revering — makes clear how this hopeless estate chugged along for so long.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Chu sits at the center of Hollywood, and grew up in Silicon Valley revering engineers.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In Church’s day, that separation depended on promoting a robust idea of American innocence over Europe’s enfeebling corruption.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
There is a broader issue of manufacturers selling dangerous products and promoting them with deceptive advertising to lure youth into using their dangerous, ineffective products.—
Jad Abdel Nour,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The story goes that Balanchine was so struck by the multi-colored glow of the jewelry displays at the Van Cleef & Arpels New York showroom that this led him to create a dance exalting their beauty.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Deifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deifying. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
