as in worship
excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
the instant deification by the press of the country's newest war hero
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Recent Examples of deification
Whether a dead emperor was made a god depended not so much on his worthiness as on how useful his deification was to the man who came after him.
—
Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
The deification of emperors was fairly standard practice at the time, and the spoof claimed to lift the lid on what really happened during the process.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Bookstores still held their ground here among the shopfronts, and the deification of French writers living and dead was evinced everywhere in street names and statues and advertising hoardings for new novels.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Our work points to a biological explanation for the deification of the species.
—Nathaniel J. Dominy, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for deification
Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
The deification of emperors was fairly standard practice at the time, and the spoof claimed to lift the lid on what really happened during the process.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Bookstores still held their ground here among the shopfronts, and the deification of French writers living and dead was evinced everywhere in street names and statues and advertising hoardings for new novels.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Our work points to a biological explanation for the deification of the species.
—Nathaniel J. Dominy, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for deification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deification
Noun
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San Xavier del Bac (Arizona) Unlike many old Spanish churches that are now museums or parks, this mission on the outskirts of Tucson is still a very active place of worship and learning as well as meeting place for the local Tohono O’odham community.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Taihong Ouyang, 49, was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary and criminal mischief, both as hate crimes, and aggravated harassment after a string of break ins at the worship sites earlier that day.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador Puffins have earned widespread adoration thanks to their colorful beaks and adorable appearance, and for anyone hoping to spot these creatures in the flesh, the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is the perfect place.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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But ultimately, there’s not really a drop of irony in this profession of adoration.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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People begin drifting to certain games or consoles, staring intently at a wall of idolatry.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2024
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And while idolatry is not a new concept, the unique ways in which our culture demands that celebrities be close to us—closer than ever before—is in desperate need of examination.—
Taylor Crumpton,
TIME,
13 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Deification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deification. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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