adulation
noun
ad·u·la·tion
ˌa-jə-ˈlā-shən 
-dyə,
-də-
: extreme or excessive admiration or flattery
Celebrities often feed off the adulation of fans, but that acclaim can be fleeting and illusory.—
Ruben Castenada
Ruben CastenadaDuring the campaign, he basked in the adulation of his fans and emphasized the promises that drew the biggest applause and the most retweets …—Peter Coy
Peter Coy… she thought he'd be an egomaniac, spoiled by fame and public adulation.—Maureen Callahan
Maureen Callahan… is only starting to reach the level of popular and critical adulation that bands work their entire lives to achieve …—Steve Kandell
Steve KandellHe had not fully understood his achievement until he returned home to an outpouring of adulation from local media.—David Müller
David Müller
Did you know?
If adulation makes you think of a dog panting after its beloved person, you're on the right etymological track; the word ultimately comes from the Latin verb adūlārī, meaning "to fawn on" (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or "to praise insincerely." Adulation has been in use in English since the 15th century. The verb adulate, noun adulator, and adjective adulatory later followed dutifully behind.
Examples of adulation in a Sentence
The rugby player enjoyed the adulation of his fans.
a writer who inspires adulation in her readers
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the adulation has been directed toward Bonitto, who is an early-season favorite to win defensive player of the year and leads the NFL in both sacks (eight) and pressures (34, according to Next Gen Stats).
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
Putin was portrayed as an unsightly troll, who, by an act of magic—a spell cast by the puppet version of Boris Berezovsky, the magnate who helped engineer his rise to the Presidency—comes to appear beautiful and virtuous, the subject of great adulation and deference.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Irwin politely refused to accept Tonioli and Hough's adulations, crediting it all to his partner.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Liu, for her part, takes this adulation in stride.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulation
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Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025
Putin was portrayed as an unsightly troll, who, by an act of magic—a spell cast by the puppet version of Boris Berezovsky, the magnate who helped engineer his rise to the Presidency—comes to appear beautiful and virtuous, the subject of great adulation and deference.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Irwin politely refused to accept Tonioli and Hough's adulations, crediting it all to his partner.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Liu, for her part, takes this adulation in stride.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adulation
Cite this Entry
“Adulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adulation. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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