as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
the instant deification by the press of the country's newest war hero
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Recent Examples of deification
Whether a dead emperor was made a god depended not so much on his worthiness as on how useful his deification was to the man who came after him.
—
Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
The deification of emperors was fairly standard practice at the time, and the spoof claimed to lift the lid on what really happened during the process.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Bookstores still held their ground here among the shopfronts, and the deification of French writers living and dead was evinced everywhere in street names and statues and advertising hoardings for new novels.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Our work points to a biological explanation for the deification of the species.
—Nathaniel J. Dominy, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for deification
Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
The deification of emperors was fairly standard practice at the time, and the spoof claimed to lift the lid on what really happened during the process.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Bookstores still held their ground here among the shopfronts, and the deification of French writers living and dead was evinced everywhere in street names and statues and advertising hoardings for new novels.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Our work points to a biological explanation for the deification of the species.
—Nathaniel J. Dominy, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for deification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deification
Noun
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The agency has been granted greater authority, with restrictions lifted on conducting arrests in sensitive locations such as schools, health-care facilities and places of worship.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
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Chuang's order does not prevent the Trump administration from conducting arrests in or near places of worship when authorized by a warrant.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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There’s nothing basic about Denzel’s adoration for his wife, though.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
25 Feb. 2025
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Kathy Bates earns her Oscar and then some, taking Annie's terrifying adoration for James Caan's Sheldon to a disturbing, hide-your-eyes level.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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People begin drifting to certain games or consoles, staring intently at a wall of idolatry.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2024
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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
Cite this Entry
“Deification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deification. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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