adulation

[ aj-uh-ley-shuhn ]

noun

1. excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery.

adulation

/ ˌædjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. obsequious flattery or praise; extreme admiration

Other Words From

• ad·u·la·to·ry [aj, -, uh, -l, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective
• self-adu·lation noun
• self-adu·la·tory adjective
• un·adu·lating adjective
• un·adu·la·tory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of adulation¹

Middle English < Middle French < Latin adūlātiōn- (stem of adūlātiō ) servile flattery, fawning, equivalent to adūlāt ( us ), past participle of adūlārī, -āre to fawn upon (of dogs), apparently a nominal derivative, with ad- ad-, of an otherwise unattested base + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump’s erratic and frequently offensive behavior — which is a principal factor in the limitless adulation of his followers — reached a new low, even by his standards.

From Salon

“I’m in the mood for adulation,” La Callas intones, requesting a table where the waiters know her name or an appointment with a “hairdresser who doesn’t speak.”

From Los Angeles Times

On stage at Wembley, Swift lapped up the adulation, saying it was "a privilege to do the thing I love, in front of any size crowd at all".

From BBC

In Chicago’s United Center, the president basked in adulation while claiming to be a peacemaker despite a record of literally making possible the methodical massacres of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

From Salon

Four years ago, he won the nomination, but the Covid pandemic denied him an opportunity to bask in adulation of a packed Democratic convention hall and the celebratory post-speech balloon drop.

From BBC

Related Words

• applause
• commendation