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
Synonyms
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
As a child, Marquis was attacked by the Joker and his electric joy buzzer, ultimately growing up idolizing the supervillain and eventually becoming his successor.
—Melania Hidalgo, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
The 21-year-old from Tampa grew up idolizing fellow Plant High alum Preston Tucker, a Gators star from 2009-12.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
The daughter of Ledecky’s former coach, Bruce Gemmell, Erin grew up idolizing her dad’s most famous protégé, even dressing up as Ledecky one year for Halloween — in official Team USA gear donated by the legend herself.
—Dave Sheinin, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
Born three years after the Giants moved to California and 10 years old when Mays played his final game in San Francisco, Melvin had the unique opportunity to go from idolizing Mays to nurturing a relationship as a couple of baseball lifers.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for idolize 
Melania Hidalgo, Peoplemag, 25 June 2024
The 21-year-old from Tampa grew up idolizing fellow Plant High alum Preston Tucker, a Gators star from 2009-12.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024
The daughter of Ledecky’s former coach, Bruce Gemmell, Erin grew up idolizing her dad’s most famous protégé, even dressing up as Ledecky one year for Halloween — in official Team USA gear donated by the legend herself.
—Dave Sheinin, Washington Post, 18 June 2024
Born three years after the Giants moved to California and 10 years old when Mays played his final game in San Francisco, Melvin had the unique opportunity to go from idolizing Mays to nurturing a relationship as a couple of baseball lifers.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for idolize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idolize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near idolize
Cite this Entry
“Idolize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolize. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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
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