Adoration
noun /ˌædəˈreɪʃən/ — Love that verges on reverence.
Definition
Deep love and respect; a feeling of profound affection and admiration that approaches worship.
Beyond the definition
Adoration is love at its most worshipful — you don't just love the person, you revere them. The word has religious roots and carries that intensity. It's the feeling that makes someone place another person beyond ordinary judgment.
Origin & history
From Latin adoratio — worship (ad- 'to' + os, oris 'mouth'). Originally, to bring your lips toward something in reverence.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The adoration in the child's eyes was pure — nothing complicated about it.
She was uncomfortable with adoration; she preferred to be respected than revered.
Adoration can be its own kind of loneliness — being loved for something you're not sure you are.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Adoration” when the meaning fits your context: Deep love and respect; a feeling of profound affection and admiration that approaches worship.
Synonyms
reverence, worship, devotion, love, veneration
Antonyms
contempt, disdain, indifference
Related words
Adoration vs worship
Adoration is deep love accompanied by reverence and warmth. Worship is an extreme, often devotional act of elevating someone or something to a status above oneself.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
She watched him sleep — not in a possessive way, but in the way of someone who cannot believe their luck. Not luck that he was hers. Luck that someone like this existed in the world and she got to know it.
There are people who go through their lives without ever feeling this, she thought. And then: or perhaps everyone feels it and simply doesn't say.
She lay there in the dark deciding which would be sadder.
Questions about this word
What does "Adoration" mean?
Adoration is noun meaning: Love that verges on reverence.. Deep love and respect; a feeling of profound affection and admiration that approaches worship.
Where does the word "Adoration" come from?
From Latin adoratio — worship (ad- 'to' + os, oris 'mouth'). Originally, to bring your lips toward something in reverence.