adulation
ad-juh-LEY-shuhn
/ˌædjʊˈleɪʃən/
Excessive admiration or flattery; servile flattery.
Carries a negative connotation of extreme, uncritical, and often embarrassing worship, typically directed at celebrities, leaders, or wealthy individuals.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin verb 'adulari', which literally meant 'to fawn upon' or 'to wag the tail like a dog.' It originally described the submissive, eager-to-please behavior of a dog toward its master, which was later applied metaphorically to humans who flatter excessively.
Word relationships
- worship: Worship is deep reverence, often religious, while adulation is specifically excessive, fawning flattery of a person.
- fawning: Fawning is submissive, exaggerated affection to gain favor, closely related to adulation.
- scorn: Open dislike and disrespect, the direct opposite of adulation.
- derision: Contemptuous ridicule or mockery.
Commonly confused with
- adulteration: Adulteration means making something impure by adding inferior substances, while adulation is excessive praise.
Word family
- adulate (verb): To praise or flatter excessively.
- adulatory (adjective): Expressing excessive flattery.
Collocations
- bask in adulation
- constant adulation
- unquestioning adulation
Example sentences
- "The young actor found it difficult to handle the constant adulation of the media and screaming fans." An analysis of modern celebrity culture.
Memory hook
Think of 'adult-adoration'. When adults behave like screaming teenagers, showing excessive adoration, it is adulation. Adulation = Fawning like a dog.
When not to use
Do not use for healthy, balanced, and deserved professional respect.
Fun facts
- The ancient Romans used 'adulatio' to describe the behavior of political sycophants who would literally bow and scrape before the emperors.
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