idolatry

noun

idol·​a·​try ī-ˈdä-lə-trē 

plural idolatries

1

: the worship of a physical object as a god

2

: immoderate attachment or devotion to something

Synonyms

• adulation
• deification
• hero worship
• idolization
• worship
• worshipping
• worshiping

Examples of idolatry in a Sentence

fans of the team are well known for their idolatry of the quarterback

Recent Examples on the Web

And while idolatry is not a new concept, the unique ways in which our culture demands that celebrities be close to us—closer than ever before—is in desperate need of examination. —Taylor Crumpton, TIME, 13 Sep. 2024

The other is to impeach and remove the six, but that’s politically impractical, given the Trump idolatry in Congress. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2024

Jealousy, worship, idolatry, obsession, love, all these things can be the result of this kind of superpower that a character can have. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2024

Another gag involves the highly unstable Adam’s idolatry for the IDF — a joke that was clearly conceived before the current Israel-Hamas War. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ydolatrie, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin idolatria, alteration of Late Latin idololatria, from Greek eidōlolatreia, from eidōlon idol + -latreia -latry

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing idolatry

• self-idolatry

Kids Definition

idolatry

noun

idol·​a·​try ī-ˈdäl-ə-trē 

plural idolatries

1

: the worship of an idol as a god

2

: very great attachment or devotion to something