as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
fans of the team are well known for their idolatry of the quarterback
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Recent Examples of idolatry
Miracle workers, moreover, often become the subjects of so much popular devotion that their authority can begin to approach idolatry or rival that of the Church itself.
—
Emily Harnett, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Then there’s Rumi’s crush on Mrs. Malcolm, which includes several Mary Kay Letourneau jokes and initial idolatry of Vili Fualaau.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But as a Christian, the bigger threat in the U.S. now seems to be Evangelical idolatry—this tendency of many Christians to turn a political candidate into an idol, particularly one who has proven himself so thoroughly unfit as Donald Trump.
—Donovan McAbee, TIME, 28 Oct. 2024
People begin drifting to certain games or consoles, staring intently at a wall of idolatry.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for idolatry
Emily Harnett, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Then there’s Rumi’s crush on Mrs. Malcolm, which includes several Mary Kay Letourneau jokes and initial idolatry of Vili Fualaau.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But as a Christian, the bigger threat in the U.S. now seems to be Evangelical idolatry—this tendency of many Christians to turn a political candidate into an idol, particularly one who has proven himself so thoroughly unfit as Donald Trump.
—Donovan McAbee, TIME, 28 Oct. 2024
People begin drifting to certain games or consoles, staring intently at a wall of idolatry.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for idolatry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idolatry
Noun
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The first services were held at the new house of worship — with an auditorium that could seat more than 2,000 people — on Oct. 25, 1970.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
31 May 2025
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Beyond that, the Trump administration has rescinded guidance that told agents to avoid making arrests at places of worship and has taken people into custody for showing up to immigration appointments.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2025
Noun
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In the comment section, many celebrities shared their love and adoration for baby Jack, including rapper Sexxy Red, actress Justine Skye and Lori Harvey.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
11 May 2025
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America’s irreplaceable contribution to winning that world war and preventing another deserves to be the object of adoration.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
8 May 2025
Noun
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So there has always been an attack on the present and a deification of the past on our way to saying that things are getting worse.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2025
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The deification of our jazz dead is stunning to behold that way.—
Harmony Holiday,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idolatry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idolatry. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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