lionize
Put on pedestal
To lionize someone is to treat them as a celebrity or person of great importance, showering them with attention and admiration.
The word suggests enthusiastic, sometimes excessive praise: The media lionized the young athlete after her Olympic gold.
Often carries a hint of criticism—that the admiration may be undeserved or overblown.
Praise to excess
- exaltPraise with great intensity
- venerateHonor with deep respect
- deifyWorship as sacred
- apotheosisPeak or deification
canonize · enshrine · immortalize · mythologize · aggrandize · beatify · sanctify · ennoble
Deeply respect and admire
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- respectRegard with honor
- adulatePraise to excess
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
idolize · adore · cherish · treasure · regard · appreciate · value · hero-worship
Enthusiastic public approval
- tributeOffering of respect
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- feteElaborate public celebration
- toastHeated bread; glass-raising honor
ovation · ceremony · gala · commemoration · banquet · reception · accolade · recognition
Young deer, or flatter
- praiseExpression of approval
- laudTo voice high esteem
- extolPraise with enthusiasm
- gushFlow out forcefully
court · sweet-talk · blandish · compliment · sycophancy · adulation · effuse · panegyrize
glorify
Praise to excess
apotheosis · canonize · enshrine · immortalize · mythologize · aggrandize · beatify · sanctify · ennoble · pedestalize
revere
Deeply respect and admire
worship · idolize · adore · cherish · treasure · regard · appreciate · value · hero-worship · devotion
acclaim
Enthusiastic public approval
toast · ovation · ceremony · gala · commemoration · banquet · reception · accolade · recognition · spotlight
fawn
Young deer, or flatter
gush · court · sweet-talk · blandish · compliment · sycophancy · adulation · effuse · panegyrize · brown-nose
celebrity
Widely recognized public figure
- starLuminous astronomical object
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- luminaryInspiring figure or celestial body
VIP · notable · dignitary · superstar · legend · hero · idol · darling · A-lister · eminence