Synonyms

adore

American

[uh-dawr, uh-dohr] / əˈdɔr, əˈdoʊr /

verb (used with object)

to regard with the utmost esteem, love, and respect; honor.

Synonyms:

venerate, revere, reverence, idolize

Antonyms:

abhor
to pay divine honor to; worship.

to adore God.
to like or admire very much.

I simply adore the way your hair is done!

verb (used without object)

to worship.

adore British

/ əˈdɔː /

verb

(tr) to love intensely or deeply
to worship (a god) with religious rites
informal (tr) to like very much

I adore chocolate

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of adore

First recorded in 1275–1325; from Latin adōrāre “to speak to, pray, worship,” from ad- ad- + ōrāre “to beg, plead, speak” ( see oration); replacing Middle English aour(i)e, from Old French aourer, from Latin

Explanation

Someone you adore gets put on a pedestal. Considering your fear of germs, when you told me that you had shared a toothbrush — I knew you must adore her! Adore comes from the Latin word adorare, meaning “to worship.” So when you adore someone, it's more than just a crush. However, like many words of strong emotion, adore gets used in lighter situations as well. Your aunt tells me you just adore the miniature fruitcakes she sends you every holiday.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing adore

Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Words for Carolers

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Many people still adore him, for whatever reason.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

I also feared I would lose a vehicle I adore, which I amplified in a frantic series of messages to my co-workers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

"You have an audience that adore you. An audience that enjoy the content," he wrote.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Build a character we’d adore and kill them, from nowhere, in the second to last episode of the season.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

“No, I haven’t seen your pipe. And I adore winter. My favorite part was skating around the ships locked in solid by the ice. The Bensons were there, and the Peales, remember? It was delightful.”

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023