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

The unending adulation was uncomfortable for Herbert to hear at first, the former Oregon Ducks star said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• applause
• commendation