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
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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
Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Machismo is another one of these elements as the doc repeatedly shows a star matador and his hero-worshipping entourage.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
Springsteen admires the precision, energy, and intelligence of Bryan’s songwriting, but he’s also clearly charmed by the 28-year-old Navy veteran’s obvious hero worship, puppy-in-a-frat energy, and relentless sincerity.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Verb
Machismo is another one of these elements as the doc repeatedly shows a star matador and his hero-worshipping entourage.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Machismo is another one of these elements as the doc repeatedly shows a star matador and his hero-worshipping entourage.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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
Springsteen admires the precision, energy, and intelligence of Bryan’s songwriting, but he’s also clearly charmed by the 28-year-old Navy veteran’s obvious hero worship, puppy-in-a-frat energy, and relentless sincerity.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hero-worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero-worship
Verb
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This new effort is filled with the most memorable and moving canine moments Friedman has encountered in a life of adoring dogs.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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Those viral moments shifted her audience away from indie-loving Pitchfork dudes and toward a younger, more female crowd; her recent shows have been marked by throngs of adoring fangirls.—
Kristin Robinson,
Billboard,
5 June 2025
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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The first services were held at the new house of worship — with an auditorium that could seat more than 2,000 people — on Oct. 25, 1970.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
31 May 2025
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Beyond that, the Trump administration has rescinded guidance that told agents to avoid making arrests at places of worship and has taken people into custody for showing up to immigration appointments.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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All the evidence says that, yes, he was liked and respected by his team-mates at all his clubs.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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There are a lot of fans who like kung fu movies, Samurai films, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Bullet, Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
Verb
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While many praised the video’s message and Rylie’s insightful approach, others criticized the mom for not sharing her specific experiences with her daughter.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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But authorities were praised for their quick response to the incident and swift updates.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
27 May 2025
Noun
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The stakes are also higher in the third act because of a life-risking incident and Nani’s career aspirations, while the new movie downplays Stitch’s adoration for Elvis Presley, though his songs are present.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
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Set three years after the events of Season 4, Joe and his wife Kate (Charlotte Richie) are living in New York, where Kate’s role as a powerful CEO has brought them a lot of public attention and adoration.—
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.,
Refinery29,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With help from Patrick O’Sullivan, the former NHL player that Tavares once idolized and who’s now a player development coach with the Leafs, as well as teammate Philippe Myers, Tavares had just completed a post-practice shooting session.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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Alcaraz had spent his whole childhood idolizing Rafael Nadal.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
Verb
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A couple of the guys congratulated me [on this award], which felt really, really good.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
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Niles North Principal Marlon Felton, in his first year as the school’s principal, congratulated the class of 2025 in his encouraging remarks to them and their families.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hero-worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero-worship. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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