deify

[ dee-uh-fahy ]

/ ˈdi əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object), de·i·fied, de·i·fy·ing.

to make a god of; exalt to the rank of a deity; personify as a deity: to deify a beloved king.

to adore or regard as a deity: to deify wealth.

Nearby words

Origin of deify

1300–50; Middle English deifien < Old French deifier < Late Latin deificāre. See deification, -ify

Related forms

de·i·fi·er, nounhalf-de·i·fied, adjectivehy·per·de·i·fy, verb (used with object), hy·per·de·i·fied, hy·per·de·i·fy·ing.self-de·i·fy·ing, adjective

un·de·i·fied, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for deified

And while Garcia had long been revered as the leader of the group, this was when, Weir says, fans “deified Jerry.”
Bob Weir on Drugged-Out Deadheads and Living in Jerry Garcia’s Shadow|Emily Shire|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was the last of a deified generation of CBS News luminaries that included Walter Cronkite, Andy Rooney, and Ed Bradley.
Emotional Memorial for ‘60 Minutes’ Legend Mike Wallace|Lloyd Grove|May 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Still, expectations are high, given that the series is based on a work by one of the most deified literary figures of our time.
The Next Twin Peaks?|Jace Lacob|July 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
We expected to be deified, and thus become the founders of a new mythology.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 1, December 11, 1841|Various

Even at much later periods woman shared equally with man in the highest priestly offices, and was deified after death.
Woman, Church & State|Matilda Joslyn Gage
Generally speaking, it was the “vegetation spirit” existing throughout nature which was deified.
The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races|Sanger Brown, II
She was deified and took the place of a goddess, apparently Nina, the prototype of Derceto.
Myths of Babylonia and Assyria|Donald A. Mackenzie
That evening the deified Augustus partook of his meats and drinks with particular joy.
Famous Modern Ghost Stories|Various

British Dictionary definitions for deified

deify

/ (ˈdiːɪˌfaɪ, ˈdeɪɪ-) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to exalt to the position of a god or personify as a god

to accord divine honour or worship to

to exalt in an extreme way; idealize

Derived Formsdeifier, noun

Word Origin for deify

C14: from Old French deifier, from Late Latin deificāre, from Latin deus god + facere to make

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 deified

deify

mid-14c., from Old French deifier (13c.), from Late Latin deificare, from deificus "making godlike," from Latin deus "god" (see Zeus) + -ficare, from facere "to make, do" (see factitious). Related: Deified; deifying.