idolize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
idolizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
idolized,
past participle, past
-
idolizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
idolizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
idolized,
past participle, past
-
idolizing
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to admire or revere greatly
-
(tr) to worship as an idol
-
(intr) to worship idols
Usage
What does idolize mean? To idolize someone is to treat them with extreme admiration and devotion. This sense of the word is based on the figurative use of the word idol to refer to a person, especially a famous celebrity such as a pop singer, whose fans are extremely devoted to them. The noun form idolization refers to this kind of hero worship. A synonym of this sense of idolize is the slang verb stan. The words idol and idolize sometimes imply that such devotion is excessive, likening it to religious worship. This is based on the original sense of the word idol referring to an object or image, such as a statue, that is worshiped as the representation of a deity or god. The word idol can also refer to the deity or god that is being worshiped. The worship of such an idol is sometimes called idolatry (or idol worship) and the people who do it can be called idolaters. The word idolize can also mean to practice idolatry, though it is much more commonly used in a figurative way. A synonym of this sense of idolize is idolatrize, but it is not commonly used. In a religious context, words like idol and idolize are typically used in a negative, judgmental way, implying that the god that the idol represents is not actually real and that such worship is wrong or sinful. Sometimes, idol is used in a metaphorical way to compare something to an object of religious devotion and worship, and idolize can also be used in this context, as in She idolizes money. This sense of the word is also used in a critical way. A close synonym of all senses of the word idolize is worship. Example: The trouble with idolizing people is that you start to model your behavior on them while ignoring their faults.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
idolismnoun
-
idolistnoun
-
idolizationnoun
-
idolizernoun
-
self-idolizedadjective
-
self-idolizingadjective
-
unidolizedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
idolizesimple
-
idolizessimple
-
have idolizedperfect
-
has idolizedperfect
-
am idolizingprogressive
-
are idolizingprogressive
-
is idolizingprogressive
-
have been idolizingperfect progressive
-
has been idolizingperfect progressive
Past
-
idolizedsimple
-
had idolizedperfect
-
was idolizingprogressive
-
were idolizingprogressive
-
had been idolizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of idolize
Explanation
To idolize is to admire someone too much. A twelve year-old might idolize a pop star, for example, wallpapering her bedroom with photos of him and screaming loudly throughout his concerts. You can idolize someone you've never met, like a famous actor, and you can also idolize a friend or family member. A boy who idolizes his father adores him unquestioningly, believing that everything he does is admirable. Another way to say idolize is worship, and both words have a religious origin. In the case of idolize, the root word is idol, or "image of a god used in worship," from the Late Latin word idolum, "image or form."
Vocabulary lists containing idolize
The Outsiders
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!
"A Village After Dark" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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!
Novel Study: The Outsiders, Chapters 6–12
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.
See Examples For:
"I needed to take her from on high and put her on the ground because you can't play someone you idolize."
From Salon ● May 9, 2025
My mother and I identify with each other and idolize each other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2024
Not being able to live the idealized versions of herself—which include visions of being surrounded by friends and fans who love and idolize her for her beauty and talent—leaves Tessa profoundly distressed.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 16, 2023
Said Brink: “Coming from Jayne, that’s the biggest compliment. I idolize her. She was such an amazing player.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2023
“This has nothing to do with Luce, all right? She’s gone and it’s no thanks to the way she lived her life. I wish you wouldn’t idolize her so much.”
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
His cross-country supremacy has made him one of the most famous and beloved athletes in a country that idolizes the stars of winter sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026
When he debuts his new release at a theater in quaint Carverville, the town that idolizes him, it unleashes a supernatural force that turns Carvervillians into zombies.
From New York Times ● Dec. 8, 2023
“Rob was telling me about this kid, ‘Vargy,’ and ‘how much he looks up to you and how much he idolizes you,’” Martinez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2023
An instinctively low-tax, small state politician who idolizes former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he nonetheless forked out billions in government money to keep people and businesses afloat during the pandemic.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
"The man that idolizes his child thus cannot be worthless," she thought.
From Only a Girl: or, A Physician for the Soul. by Wilhelmine von Hillern
To this day, he remembers getting autographs from players he idolized such as Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
John Lennon, in particular, idolized Dylan, whose performance style resonates across such early Beatles tracks as “I’m a Loser” and “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.”
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
She also idolized Donna Summer, who she calls “mother of pop, mother of disco.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Yet Norris, who idolized John Wayne as a child, became an actor as an afterthought.
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
It must be wonderful to be idolized so.
From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo
That sort of focus doesn’t come naturally to all of today’s entrepreneurs who grew up idolizing Jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026
John speaks about being fascinated by the piano for as long as he can remember, watching and idolizing English pianist Winifred Atwell when she would play on television.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
The former Newhall Hart High star grew up a huge Dodgers fan, idolizing former slugger Shawn Green and a young left-hander named Clayton Kershaw.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2024
Exasperated, I told him he was idolizing a guy who had mocked his daughter’s reporting on national TV.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
Siobhan's father loved tennis, but he grew up idolizing a team in another sport.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
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.
