adore

verb

ə-ˈdȯr How to pronounce adore (audio)
Definition of adorenext
1
as in to love
to feel passion, devotion, or tenderness for an attentive, solicitous husband who clearly adores his wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to worship
to love or admire too much adores her older sister so much that she cannot see her considerable faults

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to venerate
to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power the Roman soldier was beheaded for adoring the Christian god

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to enjoy
to take pleasure in I adore those earrings—wherever did you get them?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adore differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adore are reverence, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When could revere be used to replace adore?

The words revere and adore can be used in similar contexts, but revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When can reverence be used instead of adore?

While in some cases nearly identical to adore, reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

When would venerate be a good substitute for adore?

The meanings of venerate and adore largely overlap; however, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When is worship a more appropriate choice than adore?

In some situations, the words worship and adore are roughly equivalent. However, worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adore Silhouettes are adored with hardware, reflecting elements inspired by the archive. —Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 6 Feb. 2025 She is survived by her adoring husband, Doug; her children, Laura Whitney Backstrom and Greg Backstrom (Brian Farley); siblings, Rick (Mary Jo) Ungerman, Sandy (John) Corbett, Craig (Camille Benjamin) Ungerman, Mary Pat (Greg) Shepherd; and many nieces and nephews. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 Doctor Unicorn Soft Unicorn Hooded Bathrobe Unicorn fans will adore this cozy bathrobe that’s available in four color combinations. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 Each pick is adored by travelers, wallet-friendly, and designed to keep you well-prepared for whatever weather comes your way during your next adventure, with prices starting as low as $14. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adore
  1. love
  2. worship
  3. venerate
  4. enjoy
  5. like
  6. revere
  7. idolize
  8. reverence
Verb
  • Academy Award voters love actors who take on historical figures, much like last year's best actor award winner.
    — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Not everybody loved Lamar’s halftime show, but there’s no denying its standing as a cultural lightning rod with a long tail of listenership — exactly what the NFL, and Kendrick himself, must have wanted.
    — Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of love
Verb
  • Beth is the director of prayer and worship life at The Upper Room and dean of The Upper Room Chapel.
    — Judy Holmes, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
  • This was the end of DreamWorks Animation’s biblical adaptations, before the company began to worship new gods like Shrek, Trolls, and the Penguins of Madagascar.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Definition of worship
Verb
  • Those ancestors are to be venerated and eternally respected, not used as shorthand for the disparagement of their descendants’ art, which often explicitly exalts their history.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Men's Royal Rumble This year, the Men's Royal Rumble is filled with plenty of deserving talent, with exciting newcomers like Jacob Fatu and venerated veterans like Rey Mysterio.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Definition of venerate
Verb
  • Over the next few years, van de Wall enjoyed the lifestyle expected of an EDM hitmaker.
    — Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Attendees will enjoy photo opportunities, an official gift bag from the watch party, a selection of hors d’oeuvres from Wolfgang Puck Catering, and wine from Clarendelle & Domaine Clarence Dillon.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of enjoy
Verb
  • This is creating just the sort of uncertainty that business leaders do not like.
    — Roger Trapp, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2025
  • People like to see competition and camaraderie but some kind of flare to each personality.
    — Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
Definition of like
Verb
  • The Stonewall Inn at the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village is prized as an origin of the contemporary LGBTQ rights movement and is internationally revered as a symbol of gay, lesbian and transgender resistance.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Nevertheless, tradition reveres him as the greatest king of Israel and Judah, the author of beautiful poetry and the father of King Solomon, who is credited with the ultimate biblical love poem, the Song of Songs.
    — Jacob F. Love, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
Definition of revere
Verb
  • The avid sports fans grew up idolizing the 1980 Eagle Super Bowl champs (running back Wilbert Montgomery and wide receiver Harold Carmichael).
    — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Michael grew up in Cleveland, in a religious household where the artists his future wife idolized, like Salt-N-Pepa, were strictly prohibited.
    — Marissa R. Moss, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Definition of idolize
Verb
  • Should reverence serve carelessness, even incoherence?
    — Joy Williams, Harper's Magazine, 2 May 2024
  • Saint Heron remains dedicated to empowering future art practitioners by reverencing the spiritual act of creating and spotlighting artists’ unwavering devotion to the intergenerational language of expression.
    — Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 June 2023
Definition of reverence

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Cite this Entry

“Adore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adore. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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