1
as in to adore
to love or admire too much
people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overpraise
to praise too much
a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
once the object of uncritical hero worship, the aging quarterback now faces the derision of his team's fickle fans
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hero-worship
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Bruins players receive their share of glory and hero worship.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Verb
In an accompanying statement, Yungblud said that the record explores the theme of hero-worship.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 May 2025
There’s a kitschy, romantic, hero-worshipping nostalgia to the image, as if Norman Rockwell had undergone a lobotomy.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
This is the vibe that Edgar Wright is chasing with his version of The Running Man, which hews closely to the original text with a fidelity bordering on hero worship.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
Bruins players receive their share of glory and hero worship.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
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Ederson is the sort of player managers adore, patrolling the pitch between both boxes.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse have been couple goals for years, publicly adoring one another since meeting in 2018 and tying the knot five years later.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The result is sometimes overpraising, overprotection, and overindulging children, mixing emotional intensity with economic privilege in ways that breed entitlement.—
Christine Michel Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Know-nothings pretend that Schrader’s Bressonian mannerisms reveal the spiritual depths of contemporary crisis, when, in fact, Master Gardener repeats the same social-collapse paranoia that made secular reviewers overpraise the religious, racial, suicide-bomber topics of First Reformed.—
Armond White,
National Review,
24 May 2023
Noun
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Before her death in Chicago at age 67, Cabrini founded 67 schools, orphanages, hospitals, convents and places of worship in North and South America.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Abdur-Rahim Ali and others gathered at an Islamic Center on Friday, a day of worship for the Islamic community, where Nasir and his family visit often.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Reliever Anthony Banda likes Morris’ personality and how he’s unfazed by the newness of his role.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Briceno likes a metallic wash of RMS Beauty Eye Polish with a glossier product tapped onto the center of the lid (try a dab of Gucci Luminous Face and Lip Gloss, or About Face Vinyl Effect Eye Gloss).—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Another shopper praised its significant support.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
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Drivers spoke at length on Saturday about his accomplishments, praising his toughness, competitive spirit and penchant for speaking his mind — all of which earned him a reputation as NASCAR’s villain.—
Steve Reed,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Noun
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But Colbert put his own spin on things, like wearing his Catholic faith and his adoration of his wife and frequent guest, Evie McGee Colbert, on his sleeve.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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Yet she’s viewed, like everything else in the movie, with an adoration that is nearly transcendental.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The Times also identified social media accounts believed to be used by one of the shooters that idolized school shootings, the white nationalism movement and neo-Nazi terrorism and were flush with memes from the online far-right extremist community.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
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One fun discovery in Avedon’s extensive and dazzling archive was a portrait of director John Ford, whom Howard grew up idolizing.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Several celebrities, including Ilana Glazer and Uzo Aduba, congratulated the couple in the comments section.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
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After congratulating each other on the mound, Aztecs players linked arms on the field, turned to their fans in the stands and sang the school’s fight song.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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