Standard Lemma guide

adore

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: ədôʹ
  • Received-Pronunciation: /əˈdɔː/
  • General-American: ədôrʹ
  • General-American: /əˈdoɹ/
  • ədōrʹ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /əˈdo(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /əˈdoə̯/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 D AO1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To worship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exalt, praise, adore, glorify, worship

Antonyms: disdain

2

verb

Meaning 2

To love with one's entire heart and soul; regard with deep respect and affection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It is obvious to everyone that Gerry adores Heather.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cherish, fancy, adore, care for, cling to, dote, love

Antonyms: disdain

3

verb

Meaning 3

To be very fond of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To adorn.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ornament, prettify, adore, adorn, apparel, array, invest, detail, beautify, bedeck, betrim, commend, decorate, decore, deck, deck out, do up, dress up, dub, embellish, enrich, garnish, grace, mangonize, pretty up

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

love intensely

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he just adored his wife

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: love

Narrower terms: fetishize, idolize, idolise, worship, hero-worship, revere

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

88 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَبَد (ʕabad) — worship
  • Belarusian: багатвары́ць (bahatvarýcʹ) — worship
  • Belarusian: абагаўля́ць (abahawljácʹ) — worship
  • Belarusian: баго́міць (bahómicʹ) — worship
  • Bulgarian: боготворя́ (bogotvorjá) — worship
  • Catalan: adorar — worship
  • Chinese Mandarin: 崇拜 (chóngbài) — worship
  • Dutch: aanbidden — worship
  • Dutch: adoreren — worship
  • Finnish: palvoa — worship
  • Finnish: jumaloida — worship
  • French: adorer — worship
  • Galician: adorar — worship
  • German: anbeten — worship
  • German: verehren — worship
  • Greek: λατρεύω (latrévo) — worship
  • Haitian Creole: adore — worship
  • Hebrew: העריץ (heeríts) — worship
  • Hebrew: סגד (sagád) — worship
  • Hungarian: imád — worship
  • Icelandic: dýrka — worship
  • Ido: adorar — worship
  • Italian: adorare — worship
  • Japanese: 崇拝する (sūhai suru) — worship
  • Korean: 숭배하다 (sungbaehada) — worship
  • Latin: adōrō — worship
  • Latin: veneror — worship
  • Macedonian: обожава (obožava) — worship
  • Norman: adouother — worship
  • Occitan: adorar — worship
  • Polish: uwielbiać — worship
  • Polish: wielbić — worship
  • Polish: adorować — worship
  • Portuguese: adorar — worship
  • Quechua: much'ay — worship
  • Romanian: adora — worship
  • Romanian: îndrăgi — worship
  • Russian: боготвори́ть (bogotvorítʹ) — worship
  • Russian: поклоня́ться (poklonjátʹsja) — worship
  • Scottish Gaelic: dèan adhradh — worship
  • Serbo-Croatian: обожа́вати — worship
  • Serbo-Croatian: obožávati — worship
  • Spanish: adorar — worship
  • Turkish: tapmak — worship
  • Turkish: tapınmak — worship
  • Ottoman Turkish: طاپمق (tapmak) — worship
  • Ottoman Turkish: عبادت ایتمك (ʼibâdet etmek) — worship
  • Ukrainian: божестви́ти (božestvýty) — worship
  • Ukrainian: обо́жнювати (obóžnjuvaty) — worship
  • Ukrainian: обо́жувати (obóžuvaty) — worship
  • Ukrainian: боготвори́ти (bohotvorýty) — worship
  • Arabic: عَشِقَ (ʕašiqa) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Arabic: عِشِق (ʕišig) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Belarusian: го́рача любі́ць (hórača ljubícʹ) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Belarusian: го́рача каха́ць (hórača kaxácʹ) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Bulgarian: обожа́вам (obožávam) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱愛 /热爱 (rè'ài) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Czech: zbožňovat — love with entire heart and soul
  • Dutch: aanbidden — love with entire heart and soul
  • Dutch: adoreren — love with entire heart and soul
  • Esperanto: adori — love with entire heart and soul
  • Esperanto: amegi — love with entire heart and soul
  • Finnish: ihailla — love with entire heart and soul
  • French: adorer — love with entire heart and soul
  • German: anbeten — love with entire heart and soul
  • German: verehren — love with entire heart and soul
  • Haitian Creole: adore — love with entire heart and soul
  • Hebrew: העריץ (heeríts) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Hungarian: imád — love with entire heart and soul
  • Italian: adorare — love with entire heart and soul
  • Japanese: 熱愛する (netsuai suru) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Japanese: 敬愛する (keiai suru) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Korean: 열애하다 (yeoraehada) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Korean: 경애하다 (gyeong'aehada) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Macedonian: обожава (obožava) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Norman: adouother — love with entire heart and soul
  • Polish: uwielbiać — love with entire heart and soul
  • Polish: ubóstwiać — love with entire heart and soul
  • Polish: adorować — love with entire heart and soul
  • Portuguese: adorar — love with entire heart and soul
  • Romanian: adora — love with entire heart and soul
  • Romanian: îndrăgi — love with entire heart and soul
  • Russian: обожа́ть (obožátʹ) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Scottish Gaelic: gràdhaich — love with entire heart and soul
  • Spanish: adorar — love with entire heart and soul
  • Turkish: tapmak — love with entire heart and soul
  • Ukrainian: обо́жнювати (obóžnjuvaty) — love with entire heart and soul
  • Ukrainian: па́лко коха́ти (pálko koxáty) — love with entire heart and soul
Real reading context

adore in complete knowledge articles