idolize

idolize
    v 1: love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess;
         venerate as an idol; "Many teenagers idolized the Beatles"
         [syn: {idolize}, {idolise}, {worship}, {hero-worship},
         {revere}]
    

Idolize \I"dol*ize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Idolized}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Idolizing}.]
   1. To make an idol of; to pay idolatrous worship to; as, to
      idolize the sacred bull in Egypt.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To love to excess; to love or reverence to adoration; as,
      to idolize gold, children, a hero.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Idolize \I"dol*ize\, v. i.
   To practice idolatry. [R.]
   [1913 Webster]

         To idolize after the manner of Egypt.    --Fairbairn.
   [1913 Webster]
    

73 Moby Thesaurus words for "idolize":
      accord respect to, admire, adore, adulate, apotheosize, appreciate,
      belaud, bepraise, bless, blow up, boast of, brag about, celebrate,
      cherish, cry up, dearly love, defer to, deify, do homage to,
      do service, dote, emblazon, entertain respect for, esteem,
      eulogize, exalt, extol, favor, fetish, fetishize, flatter, glorify,
      hero-worship, hold dear, hold in esteem, hold in reverence, honor,
      idol, idolatrize, idolify, laud, lionize, look up to,
      love to distraction, magnify, make much of, overcommend,
      overesteem, overestimate, overlaud, overpraise, overprize,
      panegyrize, pay homage to, pay tribute, porter aux nues, praise,
      prize, puff, puff up, regard, respect, revere, reverence, salute,
      think highly of, think much of, think well of, treasure, trumpet,
      value, venerate, worship