idolatrous

American  

[ahy-dol-uh-truhs] / aɪˈdɒl ə trəs /

adjective

1. worshiping idols.

2. blindly adoring.

3. of or relating to idolatry.

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Usage

What does idolatrous mean? Idolatrous is used to describe someone who worships an idol or idols—objects or images, such as statues, that are worshipped as the representations of deities or gods. The word idol can also refer to the deity or god that is being worshipped. An idolatrous person can be called an idolater, and the practice of worshipping idols is called idolatry (or idol worship). Idolatrous can also be used to describe such practices or anything involving idolatry. This sense of idolatrous and its related terms are typically used in a negative, judgmental way, implying that the god that the idolater worships is not actually real and that such worship is wrong or sinful. A well-known example of an idol mentioned in a story in the Bible is the statue of a golden calf that the Israelites were said to have made while Moses was away receiving the Ten Commandments (which prohibit the worship of idols or “graven images”). Sometimes, idol is used in a metaphorical way to compare something to an object of religious devotion and worship, and idolatrous can describe such devotion, as in Her love of money is downright idolatrous. This sense of the word is also used in a critical way. Idol is also commonly used in a figurative way to refer to a person, especially a famous celebrity such as a pop singer, whom someone treats with extreme admiration and devotion. The word sometimes implies that such devotion is excessive, likening it to religious worship. The word idolatrous can be used to describe this kind of fandom, but it is much more commonly used in a religious context. Example: Followers of certain forms of Christianity are sometimes accused of being idolatrous by other Christians, who object to their use of religious iconography.

Other Word Forms

• idolatrously adverb
• idolatrousness noun
• nonidolatrous adjective
• nonidolatrously adverb
• nonidolatrousness noun
• overidolatrous adjective
• overidolatrously adverb
• overidolatrousness noun
• unidolatrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of idolatrous

First recorded in 1540–50; idolatr(y) + -ous

Example Sentences

"Hearts must be set free from an idolatrous thirst for profit," the Pope said.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

I am idolatrous, searching for false hope in the Gods of Perfect Bodies, the ones I’ve always wanted as my own, the bodies that I’ll never have.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2023

Would she pounce on some unwittingly idolatrous remark of mine and eviscerate me as she had done Bloom?

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2016

By the time of the English Civil War, church monuments were being smashed as idolatrous; wall paintings were covered with whitewash, brass plaques melted down for profit.

From The Guardian • Jan. 12, 2013

For idolatrous admirers his heart was but a broad thoroughfare, along which thousands could go in and out without jostling against one another.

From Life of Beethoven by Schindler, Anton