deifying
Elevating to godhood
Deifying is treating someone or something as a god or as godlike.
In religious contexts, it means literally elevating to divine status, as ancient Romans deified emperors after death.
More commonly, it describes excessive admiration or reverence: The media has a habit of deifying celebrities.
The word carries a note of criticism when applied to mortals, suggesting the admiration has become irrational or unwarranted.
Deeply religious in character
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- holyDedicated to the divine
- transcendentExceeding usual boundaries
- supernaturalBeyond natural explanation
immortal · eternal · omnipotent · omniscient · apotheosis · consecration · sanctification · beatification
Praise with great intensity
- glorifyPraise to excess
- ennobleConfer dignity upon
- upliftRaise emotionally or physically
- aggrandizeIncrease perceived power
raise · dignify · heighten · magnify · pedestal · enthrone · canonize · mythologize
Uncritical excessive admiration
- adorationProfound loving regard
- infatuationShort-lived intense attraction
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- fandomEnthusiast community collectively
idealization · lionization · cult · zealotry · fanaticism · devotee · acolyte · hagiography
godly
Deeply religious in character
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- holyDedicated to the divine
- transcendentExceeding usual boundaries
supernatural · immortal · eternal · omnipotent · omniscient · apotheosis · consecration · sanctification · beatification · canonization
exalt
Praise with great intensity
aggrandize · raise · dignify · heighten · magnify · pedestal · enthrone · canonize · mythologize · immortalize
hero-worship
Uncritical excessive admiration
- adorationProfound loving regard
- infatuationShort-lived intense attraction
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
fandom · idealization · lionization · cult · zealotry · fanaticism · devotee · acolyte · hagiography · mythos
revere
Deeply respect and admire
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
adore · praise · laud · acclaim · cherish · tribute · homage · reverence · devotion · exaltation
altar
Sacred ritual table
prayers · incense · liturgy · pilgrimage · sacrifice · libation · ceremony · rites · sacrament · oblation
deifyingdemonizing
Portraying as evil
degrading · vilifying · debasing · dishonoring · lowering
deifyinghumanizing
Making more relatable
dehumanizing · animalizing · demonizing · brutalizing · secularizing
deifyingdemonizing
Portraying as evil
condemning · criticizing · denouncing · excoriating · castigating
divine, deity, deify, divinity, deification, deific, deified, deifies