idolize

especially British, i·dol·ise

[ahyd-l-ahyz]

verb (used with object)

idolized, idolizing 

1. to regard with blind adoration, devotion, etc.

   Synonyms: worship, treasure, adore

2. to worship as a god.

verb (used without object)

idolized, idolizing 

1. to practice idolatry.

   to idolize as did ancient Greece and Rome.

idolize

/ ˈaɪdəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to admire or revere greatly

2. (tr) to worship as an idol

3. (intr) to worship idols

Other Word Forms

• idolism noun
• idolist noun
• idolization noun
• idolizer noun
• self-idolized adjective
• self-idolizing adjective
• unidolized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of idolize¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; idol + -ize

Example Sentences

That was before he stood on a balcony in Wales, 15 years ago, and looked below to a mass of idolizing golf fans, begging to be sprayed with champagne.

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The only way to achieve success is through exploitation and destruction, and everyone we idolize figured that out a long time ago.

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He loved the movies and idolized Gary Cooper and James Dean.

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Segel: It’s a really nice thing to have people who you admire and respect, idolize, come in and say that they love the show.

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If “Dawson’s Creek” was a mirror of Williamson’s starry-eyed years spent idolizing Steven Spielberg and dreaming of making it out of his small town, “The Waterfront” tells a murkier chapter of his family history.

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Related Words

• admire 
• adore 
• revere 
• venerate 

When To Use

What does idolize mean?

To idolize someone is to treat them with extreme admiration and devotion.This sense of the word is based on the figurative use of the word idol to refer to a person, especially a famous celebrity such as a pop singer, whose fans are extremely devoted to them. The noun form idolization refers to this kind of hero worship. A synonym of this sense of idolize is the slang verb stan.The words idol and idolize sometimes imply that such devotion is excessive, likening it to religious worship. This is based on the original sense of the word idol referring to an object or image, such as a statue, that is worshiped as the representation of a deity or god. The word idol can also refer to the deity or god that is being worshiped.The worship of such an idol is sometimes called idolatry (or idol worship) and the people who do it can be called idolaters. The word idolize can also mean to practice idolatry, though it is much more commonly used in a figurative way. A synonym of this sense of idolize is idolatrize, but it is not commonly used.In a religious context, words like idol and idolize are typically used in a negative, judgmental way, implying that the god that the idol represents is not actually real and that such worship is wrong or sinful.Sometimes, idol is used in a metaphorical way to compare something to an object of religious devotion and worship, and idolize can also be used in this context, as in She idolizes money. This sense of the word is also used in a critical way.A close synonym of all senses of the word idolize is worship.Example: The trouble with idolizing people is that you start to model your behavior on them while ignoring their faults.