adore

American  

[uh-dawr, uh-dohr] / əˈdɔr, əˈdoʊr /

verb (used with object)

adored, adoring

1. to regard with the utmost esteem, love, and respect; honor.

   Synonyms:

   venerate, revere, reverence, idolize

   Antonyms:

   abhor

2. to pay divine honor to; worship.

   to adore God.

3. to like or admire very much.

   I simply adore the way your hair is done!

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verb (used without object)

adored, adoring

1. to worship.

adore British  

/ əˈdɔː /

verb

1. (tr) to love intensely or deeply

2. to worship (a god) with religious rites

3. informal (tr) to like very much

   I adore chocolate

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Other Word Forms

• adorer noun
• adoring adjective
• adoringly adverb
• unadored adjective
• unadoring adjective
• unadoringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of adore

First recorded in 1275–1325; from Latin adōrāre “to speak to, pray, worship,” from ad- ad- + ōrāre “to beg, plead, speak” ( oration ); replacing Middle English aour(i)e, from Old French aourer, from Latin

Explanation

Someone you adore gets put on a pedestal. Considering your fear of germs, when you told me that you had shared a toothbrush — I knew you must adore her! Adore comes from the Latin word adorare, meaning “to worship.” So when you adore someone, it's more than just a crush. However, like many words of strong emotion, adore gets used in lighter situations as well. Your aunt tells me you just adore the miniature fruitcakes she sends you every holiday.

Example Sentences

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini play besties on ‘Dead to Me’ and adore each other in real life.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

It’s easy to adore the star in the mid-to-late 1950s when he’s young and svelte, scandalizing and delighting America with his wiggly hips, popularizing a new sound dubbed rock ‘n’ roll.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

When you’re first trying to get more vegetables in, it helps to notice where you already adore them in the wild.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

"I think flowers are cool, because this is a small celebration or something just to show how how much you really adore this person," he says.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

“One of these days I’m going to pop into your family’s store. I adore Chinese furniture and antiques.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• admire
• cherish
• delight in
• fall for
• idolize
• revere
• worship