adulation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adulation
Middle English < Middle French < Latin adūlātiōn- (stem of adūlātiō ) servile flattery, fawning, equivalent to adūlāt ( us ), past participle of adūlārī, -āre to fawn upon (of dogs), apparently a nominal derivative, with ad- ad-, of an otherwise unattested base + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you've ever been to a pop concert filled with screaming fans you've probably been exposed to adulation — praise so over-the-top it's almost embarrassing. The Latin word adulatio means "flattery." It's made up of the roots ad ("to") and ulos ("tail"), and if you're thinking of a dog wagging its tail to and fro to get a treat from its owner, you're on the right track. As anyone who's seen a crazed fan drooling over a celebrity knows, adulation is one of the more doglike of human behaviors.
Vocabulary lists containing adulation
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Native Son
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adulation is just as disorienting, he adds: Gazing out at a throng of fans who’d assembled last month for an impromptu album playback in New York, Fike couldn’t stop wondering what they saw in him.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2023
Adulation of Mobutu does not stop at the TV tube.
From Time Magazine Archive
When Mastroianni flew on to Hollywood, he discovered Adulation American Style, which is no dolce vita.
From Time Magazine Archive
Adulation has not made him arrogant, defeat has not made him timid.
From Time Magazine Archive
Adulation, approbation and crowning fame were his at last.
From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Musicians by Hubbard, Elbert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
