idol-worship
|i-dol-wor-ship|
🇺🇸
/ˈaɪdəlˌwɜrʃɪp/
🇬🇧
/ˈaɪdəlˌwɜːʃɪp/
excessive adoration of an image or person
Etymology
'idol-worship' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'idol' and 'worship'. 'Idol' ultimately comes from Greek 'eidōlon' (via Latin 'idolum'), meaning 'image' or 'apparition'; 'worship' comes from Old English 'weorþscipe' meaning 'worthiness, honor'.
'idol' changed from Greek 'eidōlon' to Latin 'idolum', then into Old French and Middle English as 'idole'/'idol'. 'Worship' developed from Old English 'weorþscipe' (weorþ 'worthy' + -scipe '-ship') and evolved into the Modern English 'worship'. The compound 'idol-worship' arose in English by joining these two words to describe the act of honoring images; later it gained figurative senses.
Initially, the term referred specifically to the religious act of worshipping images or statues; over time it acquired a broader, figurative meaning of excessive admiration or adulation directed toward living people or things.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the religious practice of worshipping a physical idol or image; devotion directed toward an image or object.
Ancient civilizations practiced idol-worship as part of their rituals.
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Noun 2
excessive admiration or adulation of a living person (figurative use).
The singer's fans were accused of idol-worship rather than critical appreciation.
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Verb 1
to worship an idol or image (religious sense).
They would idol-worship statues in the temple.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 15:09