deify

verb

de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī  ˈdā- 

deified; deifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to make a god of

b

: to take as an object of worship

2

: to glorify as of supreme worth

Synonyms

• adore
• adulate
• canonize
• dote (on)
• hero-worship
• idolize
• worship

Examples of deify in a Sentence

The people deified the emperor.

materialistic people who deify money

Recent Examples on the Web

In the history of Rome, only Julius, Augustus, and Claudius were deified upon their deaths; Vespasian wants the honor, and his son and heir, Titus, wants to give it to him. —Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024

Law goes balls out (literally) in crafting the narcissistic megalomaniac that is Ritter, a man who deifies Nietzsche. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024

Trump is deified in Butler, a town where longtime auto dealership owner Mike Kelly (who married into the T.W. Phillips oil and gas family fortune) loudly serves as a controversial U.S. representative. —Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 15 July 2024

The solution to this question can be reached not by deifying the nation, but on the contrary by completely liberating productive forces from the fetters imposed upon them by the national state. —Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French deifier, from Late Latin deificare, from Latin deus god + -ficare -fy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

deify

verb

de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī 

deified; deifying

1

a

: to make a god of

Roman emperors were often deified

b

: to take as an object of worship

Druids deified oak trees

2

: to glorify as of supreme worth

deify money

deification

ˌdē-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun