adulation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adulation
Middle English < Middle French < Latin adūlātiōn- (stem of adūlātiō ) servile flattery, fawning, equivalent to adūlāt ( us ), past participle of adūlārī, -āre to fawn upon (of dogs), apparently a nominal derivative, with ad- ad-, of an otherwise unattested base + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you've ever been to a pop concert filled with screaming fans you've probably been exposed to adulation — praise so over-the-top it's almost embarrassing. The Latin word adulatio means "flattery." It's made up of the roots ad ("to") and ulos ("tail"), and if you're thinking of a dog wagging its tail to and fro to get a treat from its owner, you're on the right track. As anyone who's seen a crazed fan drooling over a celebrity knows, adulation is one of the more doglike of human behaviors.
Vocabulary lists containing adulation
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Native Son
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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.
With a broad smile, he took in the scene and basked in the adulation of a crowd that viewed him as a hero.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Even so, Patel stands out for how he appears to crave online adulation and lashes out at any perceived criticism.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
He definitely doesn’t need the adulation at Augusta.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Yet he also savored the moment, and hinted that he might enjoy the adulation of Chiefs fans a bit longer.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
As usual, the expectant crowd, chaotically loud a moment before, fell silent as Caesar’s party appeared through the back of the Imperial Box, and then burst into concerted roars of adulation.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
