ADORE Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

adore

verb

ə-ˈdȯr

Definition of adore next

as in to love

to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for an attentive, solicitous husband who clearly adores his wife

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as in to worship

to love or admire too much adores her older sister so much that she cannot see her considerable faults

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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

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as in to enjoy

to take pleasure in I adore those earrings—wherever did you get them?

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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 Her father adored her and brought her into his councils. —

Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 27 Jan. 2025 Rare, fluffy and irresistibly cute, pandas are adored across the globe. —

Nectar Gan, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025 Still, Barkley was a fan favorite, and a team favorite, too, reportedly adored in the locker room. —

Becky Sullivan, NPR, 25 Jan. 2025 At Moretti’s compound, April finds a cult-like atmosphere where the superstar is surrounded and adored by his devoted, doting stans. —

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for adore

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adore

Verb

Not the global industry that now exists around acting, or the glory that’s felt because of acting — two topics on which Hollywood loves to center its movies.

— Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
Fox loves adding decals, charms, and interesting nail art textures to her manicures.

— Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Feb. 2025