adore
/əˈdɔː
/verb [with object]
1Love and respect (someone) deeply: he adored his mother...
- He loved people, adored our friends and was the life of any party we had at home.
- While the people who saw him when he was first born adored him, their love for him has become so much greater now that he's developed his own personality.
- I loved her, adored her and what she represented.
Synonyms
love dearly, love, be devoted to, dote on, care for, hold dear, cherish, treasure, prize, think the world of, set great store by;
admire, hold in admiration, hold in high regard, regard highly, have a high opinion of, look up to, stand in awe of, revere, reverence, idolize, lionize, worship, deify
informal put on a pedestal
1.1 informal Like very much: she adores Mexican cuisine (as adjective adoring) a gift from an adoring fan...
- He dropped out of soccer altogether at 14 after being injured in a serious car crash but now regularly plays before 32,000 adoring City fans at Maine Road.
- There is a group of hardcore fans, which adores the game not bothering who the teams are.
- Liked, if not adored by fans, Mozegetar has proved both a marvel to listen to and watch in live shows where he exudes a certain passion for what he does.
Synonyms
like, love, have a liking for, be fond of, be keen on, be partial to, have a taste for, have a weakness for, enjoy, delight in, revel in, take pleasure in, relish, savour, rate highly, regard highly
informal be crazy about, be wild about, be potty about, have a thing about, get a kick out of, get a charge out of, get a buzz from, get a thrill from, be hooked on, go a bundle on
North American informal be nutso about
Australian/New Zealand informal be shook on
2Worship; venerate: he adored the Sacred Host...
- In worship we adore the Triune God of creation and redemption and He gives Himself in the fullness of grace to His people.
- Worship and adore the Guru, the Perfect True Guru, and all your sinful residues shall be dispelled.
- The prize was some small comprehension of the worship of a people, unique because the God it adored and glorified was unique.
Derivatives
adorer
/ noun ...- The priests of the parish have made a special appeal for adorers on the First Friday of each month from 1 pm to 7.30 pm.
- At least two adorers should be present for the chosen hour - more would be welcome.
- Even Jesus' use of the term ‘Father’ emphasizes the new relationship of true adorers to God and consequently to one another.
adoringly
/ adverb ...- He's one of the most powerful and wise men that I will ever know, ‘she says adoringly.’
- Zoom in, and you see a father gazing adoringly at his son's first footsteps.
- Round about him, parents stand holding new-born babies while older children sit adoringly at his feet.
Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin adorare 'to worship', from ad- 'to' + orare 'speak, pray'.
The semantic strands of ‘worship’ and ‘spoken prayer’ are interwoven in adore, which came from Latin adorare ‘to worship’. The adorable came into use in the early 17th century meaning ‘worthy of divine worship’; the current meaning ‘lovable, inspiring great affection’ dates from the early 18th century.