idolize
verb
idol·ize
ˈī-də-ˌlīz 
idolized; idolizing
: to worship as a god
broadly
: to love or admire to excess
the common people whom he so idolized —
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
: to practice idolatry
Examples of idolize in a Sentence
an actor who is idolized by millions
she blindly idolized her older sister, refusing to acknowledge any of her faults
Recent Examples on the Web
But the only clear finding so far, law enforcement officials said, was that the attacker had come to idolize mass shooters, particularly those who have killed children.
—Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
In other words, as much as Maggie idolizes her teacher in the way that young people who weren’t loved enough as children project parent-like silhouettes onto their mentors, Maggie also might be building a case against Alma.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Unlike cults, whose followers tend to idolize a leader and cut themselves off from society, sovereign citizens operate independently and hold different views about which laws apply to them.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that the suspect, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, appeared to have idolized many of the mass shooters who had gone before them.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idolize
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.
Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
In other words, as much as Maggie idolizes her teacher in the way that young people who weren’t loved enough as children project parent-like silhouettes onto their mentors, Maggie also might be building a case against Alma.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Unlike cults, whose followers tend to idolize a leader and cut themselves off from society, sovereign citizens operate independently and hold different views about which laws apply to them.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that the suspect, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, appeared to have idolized many of the mass shooters who had gone before them.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idolize
Cite this Entry
“Idolize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idolize
verb
idol·ize
ˈīd-ᵊl-ˌīz
idolized; idolizing
: to worship as an idol : love or admire too much
idolization
noun
ˌīd-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share