idolize
gb/ˈaɪdəlˌaɪz/ us/ˈaɪdəlˌaɪz/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
admire someone extremely
to love and admire someone a lot, sometimes too much
Usage pattern:
idolize [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse idolize with idealize: you can idolize a person, but you idealize a situation or image by imagining it is better than it really is.
Synonyms
adore (Stronger emotional love; not always uncritical.)
|
revere (More respectful and serious; often about achievements or status.)
|
worship (Often figurative; can sound more dramatic than idolize.)
|
lionize (Publicly treat someone as a hero; more about praise in society.)
Antonyms
despise (To feel strong dislike or contempt instead of admiration.)
|
disdain (To look down on someone rather than look up to them.)
|
dismiss (To treat someone as not important or worth attention.)
Collocations
idolize a celebrity
|idolize your father
|idolize your mother
|idolize your older brother
|idolize a teacher
|idolize a coach
|idolize a pop star
|idolize a sports hero
|idolize someone unconditionally
|idolize someone from afar
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|culture
Examples
- When she was a kid, she idolized her older sister and copied everything she did.
- He idolized the singer for years, even after the scandals.
- Some fans idolize athletes and ignore their flaws.
Learner examples
- I idolize my dad.
- Many people idolize famous actors.
Verb
formal
C1
action
2
worship as a god
to worship something like a god
Usage pattern:
idolize [a god/image/object]
Common mistake:
This sense is less common in everyday speech; in general conversation, idolize usually means 'admire too much'.
Synonyms
venerate (Shows deep respect; may be religious but not necessarily worship.)
|
worship (The standard word for religious devotion; broader than idolize.)
Antonyms
reject (To refuse to accept something as sacred or worthy of worship.)
|
renounce (To formally give up a belief or practice of worship.)
Collocations
idolize false gods
|idolize an image
|idolize idols
|idolize a deity
|idolize a statue
Themes
religion
|culture
Examples
- The prophet warned the people not to idolize images made of gold.
- The text criticizes those who idolize wealth as if it were a god.
Learner examples
- Some religions teach people not to idolize statues.
Grammar
Dictionary form
idolize
IPA
GB/ˈaɪdəlˌaɪz/
US/ˈaɪdəlˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
id - ol - ize (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (id)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: idolize
- 3rd Person Singular: idolizes
- Present Participle: idolizing
- Past: idolized
Word family
Expressions
idolize the ground [someone] walks on
1/ˈaɪdəlˌaɪz ðə ɡɹˈaʊnd sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɔks ˈɔn/
idiom
informal
admire someone extremely
to love and admire someone very much
Examples
- He idolizes the ground she walks on and never argues with her.
- They idolized the ground their coach walked on after the championship.