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
Sarah Scott, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Prone to hero worship early on, Drake hashed out his style in public, dabbling in rap while working on the Canadian teen soap Degrassi: The Next Generation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Feb. 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
The young girl's feelings of being left out and ostracized by her peers likely led her to the group—which experts say is a dangerous mix of hero worship and unhealthy messaging about how to cope with bullying.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Prone to hero worship early on, Drake hashed out his style in public, dabbling in rap while working on the Canadian teen soap Degrassi: The Next Generation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
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As of Friday, the heartwarming video has been viewed nearly 12,000 times and has gathered almost 2,500 likes, with viewers leaving a flood of adoring comments.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For McPherson and her adoring fans, Minnie Bell’s is less a new beginning than a warm return.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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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Eaton has been bringing unique worship experiences to a variety of churches since 2010.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
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In January 2025, the FTC prohibited Mobilewalla from selling or using location data collected near sensitive sites, including reproductive health clinics, places of worship and military bases.—
Jodi Daniels,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Bernadette woman likes being comfortable, loves to have fun and can make a Bernadette look her own.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Mexican boxer issued his first public comments on X, praising Crawford while addressing his own future following the unanimous-decision defeat.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Fans took to the comments to react, with many praising them both for their humor.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Over the past couple of months, the doting couple has continued to engage in digital PDA, commenting on one another’s posts and sharing their adoration for each other via interviews.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
8 Sep. 2025
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Acutis was known to spend hours in prayer before the Eucharist each day, a practice known as Eucharistic adoration.—
Jessie Wardarski,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The Royals shared a special video from Brett congratulating Perez.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers issued a statement congratulating Astin on his victory.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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