as in adored
to love or admire too much
she blindly idolized her older sister, refusing to acknowledge any of her faults
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Recent Examples of idolized
Growing up in Harlem, Quié idolized Gabriel, the son of sharecroppers and one of twenty kids.
—
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Growing up, McIlroy idolized the 82-time PGA Tour winner and aimed to emulate his game after Woods.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
The kid in question was Dustin Pedroia, who Murphy coached at Arizona State from 2002-04, and who Durbin idolized growing up.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
While Willis, an Atlanta native who idolized Michael Vick growing up, attempts to downplay his mobility, the people around him, those who have coached him, view it as his superpower.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Bonzagni, who grew up a Rangers fan and idolized outfielders David Murphy, Craig Gentry and Josh Hamilton, didn’t make Carroll’s varsity team in any of his first three high school seasons.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
At Junya Watanabe, models walked with a sense of performance rarely seen today except in old videos of couture shows from the 1990s, wearing gowns assembled of athletic equipment and tacky leopard and faux fur fabrics of the kind idolized by Limited Too shoppers.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
And typical of young Wild fans of the late 2000s, the 6-year old Brink idolized Marian Gaborik, scoring goals and winning games while wearing jersey number 10 in Minnesota.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Then a Chicago Tribune reporter, Reynolds had idolized Jackson.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Growing up, McIlroy idolized the 82-time PGA Tour winner and aimed to emulate his game after Woods.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
The kid in question was Dustin Pedroia, who Murphy coached at Arizona State from 2002-04, and who Durbin idolized growing up.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
While Willis, an Atlanta native who idolized Michael Vick growing up, attempts to downplay his mobility, the people around him, those who have coached him, view it as his superpower.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Bonzagni, who grew up a Rangers fan and idolized outfielders David Murphy, Craig Gentry and Josh Hamilton, didn’t make Carroll’s varsity team in any of his first three high school seasons.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
At Junya Watanabe, models walked with a sense of performance rarely seen today except in old videos of couture shows from the 1990s, wearing gowns assembled of athletic equipment and tacky leopard and faux fur fabrics of the kind idolized by Limited Too shoppers.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
And typical of young Wild fans of the late 2000s, the 6-year old Brink idolized Marian Gaborik, scoring goals and winning games while wearing jersey number 10 in Minnesota.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Then a Chicago Tribune reporter, Reynolds had idolized Jackson.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idolized
Verb
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The Jets could always re-sign Tyrod Taylor, who is adored by many within the organization.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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More than anything, in the halo headpieces that are her signature accessory, Mary recalls a medieval religious icon, the Holy Virgin as fictional diva, touching down on stages in major markets to be adored by seas of light-waving supplicants.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For nearly three decades, Muslims have worshiped at that 1,200-square-foot home on Bush Street without incident.—
Connor Letourneau,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Romans worshipped power and dominance.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idolized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idolized. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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