Dictionary

adore en · VERB

Pronunciation

• ədôrʹ (General-American)
• /əˈdoɹ/ (General-American)
• /əˈdɔː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əˈdoə̯/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• /əˈdo(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
• (US) audio
• ədôʹ (Received-Pronunciation)
• ədōrʹ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Etymology

From Middle English *adoren, aouren, from Old French adorer, aorer, from Latin adōrō (“to pray to”), from ad (“to”) + ōrō (“to speak”).

Meanings

1. To worship.
   • O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. 1852, Frederick Oakeley (translator), “O Come, All Ye Faithful” in Francis H. Murray, A Hymnal for Use in the English Church, Come and behold him Born the King of Angels
   • Now, gods that we adore, whereof comes this? c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
   • 1758, Tobias Smollett, A Complete History of England, London: James Rivington and James Fletcher, 3rd edition, Volume 6, Book 8, “William III,” p. 29, [James] was met at the castle-gate by a procession of […] bishops and priests in their pontificals, bearing the host, which he publicly adored.
2. To love with one's entire heart and soul; regard with deep respect and affection.
   • It is obvious to everyone that Gerry adores Heather.
   • You pretend you're high / Pretend you're bored / Pretend you're anything / Just to be adored 1996, “Stupid Girl”, performed by Garbage:
   • The great mass of the population abhorred Popery and adored Monmouth. 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter V, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 388:
3. To be very fond of.
   • "I ought to arise and go forth with timbrels and with dances; but, do you know, I am not inclined to revels? There has been a little—just a very little bit too much festivity so far …. Not that I don't adore dinners and gossip and dances; not that I do not love to pervade bright and glittering places.[…]" 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter II, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
4. (obsolete) To adorn.
   • […] and likewise on her hed A Chapelet of sundry flowers she wore, From vnder which the deawy humour shed, Did tricle downe her haire, like to the hore Congealed litle drops, which doe the morne adore. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

disdain · disdain

Deriveds

adorement · adorer · adorative · overadored · adorant · adoringly · unadored

Relateds

adorable · adoration

Synonyms

pretty up · dub · betrim · beautify · adore · ornament · glorify · fancy · worship · prettify · cherish · adorn · deck · garnish · ornament · decorate · care for · praise · grace · cherish · dress up · love · embellish · fancy · exalt · exalt · enrich · dote · decore · adore · adore · bedeck · apparel · cling to · array · do up · deck out · invest · praise · mangonize · commend · detail · prettify

Translations (89)

ro adora (worship) · nl aanbidden (love with entire heart and soul) · ota طاپمق (worship) · de anbeten (worship) · uk божестви́ти (worship) · pl adorować (love with entire heart and soul) · eo adori (love with entire heart and soul) · pt adorar (worship) · mk обожава (worship) · ja 崇拝する (worship) · gl adorar (worship) · ko 열애하다 (love with entire heart and soul) · fr adorer (worship) · ko 숭배하다 (worship) · sh obožávati (worship) · la veneror (worship) · ja 熱愛する (love with entire heart and soul) · be абагаўля́ць (worship) · be го́рача любі́ць (love with entire heart and soul) · hu imád (love with entire heart and soul) · de verehren (worship) · fr adorer (love with entire heart and soul) · pl wielbić (worship) · ht adore (love with entire heart and soul) · acw عِشِق (love with entire heart and soul) · fi palvoa (worship) · de verehren (love with entire heart and soul) · uk обо́жнювати (worship) · io adorar (worship) · gd gràdhaich (love with entire heart and soul) · ota عبادت ایتمك (worship) · he העריץ (worship) · bg обожа́вам (love with entire heart and soul) · es adorar (worship) · uk обо́жнювати (love with entire heart and soul) · qu much'ay (worship) · pl uwielbiać (love with entire heart and soul) · hu imád (worship) · el λατρεύω (love with entire heart and soul) · pl adorować (worship) · nrf adouother (love with entire heart and soul) · pl uwielbiać (worship) · nl adoreren (love with entire heart and soul) · pl ubóstwiać (love with entire heart and soul) · ru обожа́ть (love with entire heart and soul) · es adorar (love with entire heart and soul) · be го́рача каха́ць (love with entire heart and soul) · cmn 崇拜 (worship) · ca adorar (worship) · he העריץ (love with entire heart and soul) · nl aanbidden (worship) · be багатвары́ць (worship) · cs zbožňovat (love with entire heart and soul) · it adorare (worship) · it adorare (love with entire heart and soul) · ja 敬愛する (love with entire heart and soul) · oc adorar (worship) · is dýrka (worship) · he סגד (worship) · pt adorar (love with entire heart and soul) · nrf adouother (worship) · ru боготвори́ть (worship) · ro îndrăgi (worship) · be баго́міць (worship) · uk боготвори́ти (worship) · tr tapınmak (worship) · mk обожава (love with entire heart and soul) · fi jumaloida (worship) · ar عَبَد (worship) · ko 경애하다 (love with entire heart and soul) · ru поклоня́ться (worship) · ro adora (love with entire heart and soul) · cmn 熱愛 /热爱 (love with entire heart and soul) · fi ihailla (love with entire heart and soul) · nl adoreren (worship) · sh обожа́вати (worship) · uk обо́жувати (worship) · tr tapmak (love with entire heart and soul) · ht adore (worship) · eo amegi (love with entire heart and soul) · el λατρεύω (worship) · ar عَشِقَ (love with entire heart and soul) · bg боготворя́ (worship) · de anbeten (love with entire heart and soul) · uk па́лко коха́ти (love with entire heart and soul) · tr tapmak (worship) · gd dèan adhradh (worship) · ro îndrăgi (love with entire heart and soul) · la adōrō (worship)