IDOLATRY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

idolatry

noun

ī-ˈdä-lə-trē

Definition of idolatry

as in worship

excessive admiration of or devotion to a person fans of the team are well known for their idolatry of the quarterback

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of idolatry Sometimes it has been connected with Catholic nationalism; at other times it has been promoted as the opposite — as an antidote to the idolatry of the state. — ABC News, 10 June 2026 The two groups displayed a large balloon near the mall of a Trump-like golden calf, a biblical reference to idolatry. — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice. — Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026 As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism. — Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for idolatry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idolatry

Noun

Their style of worship and theological teachings provided concrete tools, including practices such as prayer, fasting and sharing personal testimony, that relieved migrants’ suffering.

— Johanna Bard Richlin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Location data can expose visits to doctors, pharmacies, places of worship and other sensitive locations, especially when it gets combined with advertising identifiers and other information about you.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of worship

Noun

His face appearing on the big screen was naturally greeted by cheers of adoration from the stands and would normally have been a pure reason to smile.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The filmmaker was showered with love and adoration by appreciative fans.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

They may have been kept open throughout the year for rituals commemorating important dates and festivals, as well as the worshipping of the dead.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
This, too, is a marvel of the modern Jewish state – the unusual multitasking of commuting and worshipping.

— Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of worshipping

Browse Nearby Words

idolatries

idolatry

idolization

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“Idolatry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idolatry. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of idolatry

noun

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