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Synonyms

adulation

American  
[aj-uh-ley-shuhn] / ˌædʒ əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery.

adulation British  
/ ˌædjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

  1. obsequious flattery or praise; extreme admiration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • adulatory adjective
  • self-adulation noun
  • self-adulatory adjective
  • unadulating adjective
  • unadulatory adjective

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

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.

He definitely doesn’t need the adulation at Augusta.

From The Wall Street Journal

The adulation of the public offered little protection against the physical and neurological toll of the ring.

From BBC

O'Reilly took the adulation of the City fans after his goals and it will be a double celebration this weekend after turning 21 on Saturday.

From BBC

Yet he also savored the moment, and hinted that he might enjoy the adulation of Chiefs fans a bit longer.

From Los Angeles Times

"So, I'm back!" the 25-year-old declared to the London crowd, who responded with adulation.

From BBC

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.