1
as in to adore
to love or admire too much
people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment
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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hero-worship
Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
There’s a pleasing economy to that set-up, establishing the family dynamic of a man ruled by a monomaniacal focus, a stoical woman who keeps her distance from his professional pursuits, and hero-worshipping sons who seem a safe bet to try to emulate their dad in the ring.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2024
No one on the team knows about Sir and everyone on that team has a little hero worship where Gabi is concerned.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for hero-worship 
Verb
The film’s gaze is arguably as mocking as it is dazzled — with the macho posturing and hero-worship of Roca Rey a tacit source of comedy — while Serra, living up to his reputation for challenging arthouse fare, doesn’t flinch in his presentation of animal abuse and suffering.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
There’s a pleasing economy to that set-up, establishing the family dynamic of a man ruled by a monomaniacal focus, a stoical woman who keeps her distance from his professional pursuits, and hero-worshipping sons who seem a safe bet to try to emulate their dad in the ring.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
In the translator Jennifer Croft’s first novel, a band of translators from around the world navigates romantic entanglements and their hero worship of an elusive Polish author.
—Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 14 Mar. 2024
No one on the team knows about Sir and everyone on that team has a little hero worship where Gabi is concerned.
—Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
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In Orange, Perez adored Cheech and Chong and was joking for his family by age 13.Julie Seabaugh, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
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And her husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), a lauded and unaccountably hot stage director, adores her, both in the bedroom and outside it.Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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He’s overpraised of course.Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 16 Mar. 2023
Noun
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She is described in her obituary as an avid reader who loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
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The disc featured 19 tracks of worship music imbued with rock, rap and Latin influences.Yacob Reyes, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Shore likes to use Canadian bacon for recipes that call for subtle smoke, where the lean meat is rolled or layered with a richer substance like béchamel or hollandaise and gently warmed.Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2024
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Regardless of their initial relationship, Dylan did not like Bartoccioli.Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk targeted Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who praised sitting FBI Director Christopher Wray, who resigned last week.Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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In 2024, culture is boring and stale due to the algorithms calling the shots on what gets produced and praised—or so the critics say.T.M. Brown, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Social Media Reacts to Richard's Charm The TikTok video sparked a wave of adoration for Richard and the driver's unique approach to customer satisfaction.Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
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That adoration was not diluted during the four successive Premier League matches Tonali started this September and October, despite Newcastle’s failure to win any of them and the subsequent questions about whether the balance of the XI was negatively affected by his inclusion.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In an environment that more closely resembles a post-apocalyptic wasteland than a functioning metropolis, 11-year-old Hamoudi (Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah) lives for soccer and idolizes Lionel Messi, the Argentine genius then playing for Spanish giants Barcelona FC.Richard Kuipers, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024
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The moment was special for the current Yankees shortstop who idolized Jeter as a kid.Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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After congratulating Malcolm on his accomplishment, Dave provides both of their families with copies of the book where Malcolm’s writing has been featured.Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024
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Many celebrities congratulated the couple on social media.Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hero-worship
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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