adore
Americanverb (used with object)
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adores,
present (3rd person singular)
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adored,
past participle, past
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adoring
present participle
verb (used without object)
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adores,
present (3rd person singular)
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adored,
past participle, past
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adoring
present participle
verb
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(tr) to love intensely or deeply
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to worship (a god) with religious rites
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informal (tr) to like very much
I adore chocolate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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adorernoun
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adoringadjective
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unadoredadjective
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unadoringadjective
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adoringlyadverb
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unadoringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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adoresimple
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adoressimple
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have adoredperfect
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has adoredperfect
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am adoringprogressive
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are adoringprogressive
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is adoringprogressive
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have been adoringperfect progressive
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has been adoringperfect progressive
Past
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adoredsimple
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had adoredperfect
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was adoringprogressive
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were adoringprogressive
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had been adoringperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing adore
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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.
See Examples For:
“As a full-time solo RV woman I absolutely adore this!” one person wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Many people still adore him, for whatever reason.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
"I adore the art form for its ability to create beautiful pictures out of beautiful stages. As I progress, I want to do more and more wire walks".
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 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
“Do you adore me, too, Gitl?” he asked, laughing fondly.
From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
The 54-year-old fisherman from a small village in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, has been a superfan of the Argentine football team since the 1980s and adores superstar Lionel Messi.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Like Daphne, Patchett is married to an older man — also a doctor — whom she adores.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
If the best way to hit it big is to make a podcast that someone like Altman adores, then the rest of us are probably in trouble.
From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2026
Its founder Vaughan Smith, who was also in the Army, said: "He was one of the characters – those people who stand out because everybody adores them and they make you feel better."
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
Rachel adores to poke fun at everything in Creation, but chiefly our family.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Nacua isn’t tolerated for his talent; he’s adored for his spirit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
"He was the greatest dad and he was everybody's favourite grandad, but especially to India, Jude, Cass and Coco who adored him," she added, referring to her four children.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“It was dishonest work, and barely paid the bills, but Sterling adored it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Slate Auto’s all-electric truck aims to prove that affordable cars can be both profitable and adored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
From my father I had learned that books were to be either adored or exiled.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Like Grande to her adoring fans, Maddie is Deena’s idol, and Deena measures Maddie’s success by her work benchmarks and public visibility.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
After the final whistle, striker Mehdi Taremi thanked the adoring crowd but decried the impact of the war on his squad, from absent staff to grueling travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
It is their first trip to Australia since 2018, when they spent two weeks touring the country as well as New Zealand and Pacific islands in a visit that drew adoring throngs of crowds.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
In flashbacks — Ambrine Trigo-Ouaked portrays the younger Alpha — we see glimpses of affection for his adoring niece, but Rahim illustrates that Amin’s debilitating craving will always be his principal love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
In fact, he wanted to make sure these servants looked their best, as he attracted adoring crowds wherever he went.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
