Definition

1. Verb:
   • To admire, revere, or love someone or something to an extreme or uncritical degree: To regard with an excessive, often blind, devotion, treating the object of admiration as a perfect idol.

Usage

• The verb "idolize" is used to describe an intense, often unrealistic, level of admiration for a person, typically a celebrity, public figure, or sometimes an idea.
• It implies putting someone on a pedestal, ignoring their flaws or human qualities.
• It is commonly used in the context of fans and celebrities.
• Common structures: , .

Examples

• Verb:
  • Many young athletes idolize professional basketball players.
  • She idolizes her older sister and tries to imitate her in every way.
  • The singer was idolized by millions of fans around the world.

Advanced Usage

• "to idolize someone as...": To worship or revere someone in the specific role of something.
  • He idolizes his grandfather as a war hero.
• The state or feeling of idolizing can be described as idolization (noun).
  • The idolization of movie stars is a common phenomenon in modern culture.

Variants and Related Words

• Idolizer (noun): A person who idolizes someone.
  • He was a devoted idolizer of the famous scientist.
• Idol (noun): The person or thing that is idolized.
  • The pop star became an idol for a generation.
• Idolatry (noun): The worship of idols; extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. This is a stronger, often religious or metaphorical term.
  • Their idolatry of wealth was evident in their lifestyle.

Synonyms

• Adore: To love and admire deeply. (Less extreme than "idolize").
• Worship: To show reverence and adoration. (Can be religious or secular; similar intensity to "idolize").
• Revere: To feel deep respect or admiration. (More formal and respectful, less likely to imply blindness).
• Hero-worship: To treat someone as a hero with excessive admiration.

Related Phrases

• Put someone on a pedestal: An idiom meaning to admire someone so much that you treat them as perfect.
  • It's not healthy to put your partner on a pedestal; everyone has flaws.

Verb

1. love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
   • Many teenagers idolized the Beatles