idolize

American  

[ahyd-l-ahyz] / ˈaɪd lˌaɪz /

especially British, idolise

verb (used with object)

• idolizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• idolized,
  past participle,  past
• idolizing
  present participle

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

   Synonyms:

   worship, treasure, adore

2. to worship as a god.

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verb (used without object)

• idolizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• idolized,
  past participle,  past
• idolizing
  present participle

1. to practice idolatry.

   to idolize as did ancient Greece and Rome.

idolize British  

/ ˈaɪdəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to admire or revere greatly

2. (tr) to worship as an idol

3. (intr) to worship idols

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• idolizing
  present
• idolized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• idolize
  simple
• idolizes
  simple
• have idolized
  perfect
• has idolized
  perfect
• am idolizing
  progressive
• are idolizing
  progressive
• is idolizing
  progressive
• have been idolizing
  perfect progressive
• has been idolizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• idolized
  simple
• had idolized
  perfect
• was idolizing
  progressive
• were idolizing
  progressive
• had been idolizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will idolize
  simple
• will have idolized
  perfect
• will be idolizing
  progressive
• will have been idolizing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of idolize

First recorded in 1590–1600; idol + -ize

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Explanation

To idolize is to admire someone too much. A twelve year-old might idolize a pop star, for example, wallpapering her bedroom with photos of him and screaming loudly throughout his concerts. You can idolize someone you've never met, like a famous actor, and you can also idolize a friend or family member. A boy who idolizes his father adores him unquestioningly, believing that everything he does is admirable. Another way to say idolize is worship, and both words have a religious origin. In the case of idolize, the root word is idol, or "image of a god used in worship," from the Late Latin word idolum, "image or form."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

idolize idolizes idolized idolizing

His path to this moment began with a Japanese TV show he watched as a child, featuring a charismatic violinist-pianist he quickly came to idolize.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

"I needed to take her from on high and put her on the ground because you can't play someone you idolize."

From Salon ● May 9, 2025

“For Kim, it’s still probably politically burdensome to idolize himself as he’s still young and hasn’t accumulated much achievements,” said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2024

It’s not unusual for Americans to idolize presidents—Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama are still actively revered by many—but no other president has inspired the same level of merchandise lines or themed car flags.

From Slate ● Nov. 27, 2023

But Hoggart’s calm prose only makes me recall the urgency with which I came to idolize my grammar school teachers.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

But I bet anything Trump idolizes Grant more for his charisma, presence, and comic timing in comedies like Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, and The Philadelphia Story.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

His cross-country supremacy has made him one of the most famous and beloved athletes in a country that idolizes the stars of winter sports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

“Rob was telling me about this kid, ‘Vargy,’ and ‘how much he looks up to you and how much he idolizes you,’” Martinez said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2023

An instinctively low-tax, small state politician who idolizes former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he nonetheless forked out billions in government money to keep people and businesses afloat during the pandemic.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2022

It idolizes Raffles, who is a liar and a thief; it shuts its ears to Marion Allardyce, the defender of virtue in Letty.

From The Theory of the Theatre by Clayton Meeker Hamilton

To this day, he remembers getting autographs from players he idolized such as Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Like many schoolboys, I idolized Indiana Jones and James Bond for all the usual reasons, not least their double lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

The legendary comic actor joined The Envelope recently to discuss the acts he idolized as a kid, working with Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

John Lennon, in particular, idolized Dylan, whose performance style resonates across such early Beatles tracks as “I’m a Loser” and “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.”

From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026

But then he said, “Gary was young. Very creative. Ambitious. We idolized the Beats.”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Baker grew up idolizing Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, 26 months before Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker was born in Riverside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

That sort of focus doesn’t come naturally to all of today’s entrepreneurs who grew up idolizing Jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

But that hasn’t stopped South Korean baseball fans from idolizing a fellow East Asian player whose achievements are so rare they nearly defy imagination.

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2024

Some negative response is to be expected given the zealous idolizing of the first "True Detective" season starring McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2024

Siobhan’s father loved tennis, but he grew up idolizing a team in another sport.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

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Related Words

• admire
• adore
• revere
• venerate

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