adore

[uh-dawr, uh-dohr]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adore ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), a·dored, a·dor·ing.

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

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), a·dored, a·dor·ing.

to worship.

Origin of adore

1275–1325; < Latin adōrāre to speak to, pray, worship, equivalent to ad- ad- + ōrāre to speak, beg (see oral); replacing Middle English aour(i)e < Old French aourer < Latin

Related formsa·dor·er, nouna·dor·ing·ly, adverbun·a·dored, adjectiveun·a·dor·ing, adjectiveun·a·dor·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms for adore

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adore ON THESAURUS.COM

1. idolize; reverence, revere, venerate.

Antonyms for adore

1. abhor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for adore

revere, admire, cherish, idolize, worship, glorify, prize, treasure, exalt, venerate, dig, esteem, reverence, honor

Examples from the Web for adore

Contemporary Examples of adore

Nutrition nannies scorn hot dogs, but there are plenty of happy eaters who adore them.
The Jersey Shore’s Biggest Weiners Are at Jimmy Buff’s
Jane & Michael Stern
June 15, 2014
Well, in any case, Tina and moi are now close personal friends and we adore each other.
Exclusive: Kermit the Frog Grills Miss Piggy About ‘Muppets Most Wanted,’ Dating, and Hollywood
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
March 22, 2014
To stick around any longer—as much as I adore Rust and Marty and the whole Carcosa mystery—would have broken the spell.
‘True Detective’ Finale Review: Close to Perfection
Andrew Romano
March 10, 2014
For example, I adore the girl groups of the early 1960s: The Cookies, The Ronettes, The Shangri La's, and so on.
Why Grown-Ups Should Give One Direction a Chance
Andrew Romano
November 25, 2013
They adore spending time with each other, especially when Elsa uses her secret power to make it snow inside the castle.
‘Frozen’ Is the Best Disney Film Since ‘The Lion King’
Kevin Fallon
November 25, 2013

Historical Examples of adore

I adore that car, Katy, and I don't know how I have ever kept my fingers off it this long.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
Was this the way you used to take to make us all adore you as we did?
Clarissa, Volume 2 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Unfortunately for my peace of mind, I adore but too readily.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
I adore the sea and the plain, but I neither care for mountains nor for forests.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
I adore having people come to see me, and I detest going to see them.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt

British Dictionary definitions for adore

adore

verb

(tr) to love intensely or deeply

to worship (a god) with religious rites

(tr) informal to like very muchI adore chocolate

Derived Formsadorer, nounadoring, adjectiveadoringly, adverb

Word Origin for adore

C15: via French from Latin adōrāre, from ad- to + ōrāre to pray

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

Word Origin and History for adore

late 14c., aouren, "to worship, pay divine honors to, bow down before," from Old French aorer "to adore, worship, praise" (10c.), from Latin adorare "speak to formally, beseech, ask in prayer," in Late Latin "to worship," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + orare "speak formally, pray" (see orator). Meaning "to honor very highly" is attested from 1590s; weakened sense of "to be very fond of" emerged by 1880s. Related: Adored; adoring.