Library / English Dictionary

ADORE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Love intensely

Example:

he just adored his wife

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "adore" is one way to...):

love (have a great affection or liking for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "adore"):

fetishize (make a fetish of)

hero-worship; idolise; idolize; revere; worship (love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s INFINITIVE

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot adore Sue

Sam and Sue adore the movie

Derivation:

adorable (lovable especially in a childlike or naive way)

adorer (someone who admires a young woman)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Unlike Skeet, who was wont to shove her nose under Thornton’s hand and nudge and nudge till petted, or Nig, who would stalk up and rest his great head on Thornton’s knee, Buck was content to adore at a distance.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

A strange effect of narrow principles and views! that a prince possessed of every quality which procures veneration, love, and esteem; of strong parts, great wisdom, and profound learning, endowed with admirable talents, and almost adored by his subjects, should, from a nice, unnecessary scruple, whereof in Europe we can have no conception, let slip an opportunity put into his hands that would have made him absolute master of the lives, the liberties, and the fortunes of his people!

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“Fancy, aunt!” I exclaimed, as red as I could be. “I adore her with my whole soul!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

You also have the full moon in earth-sign Virgo at 20 degrees on March 9, which could send you on a beautiful long-distance trip that will put you in a location you adore.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Jo went prepared to bow down and adore the mighty ones whom she had worshiped with youthful enthusiasm afar off.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She seemed the emblem of my past life; and here I was now to array myself to meet, the dread, but adored, type of my unknown future day.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

This benefit was fully repaid; Justine was the most grateful little creature in the world: I do not mean that she made any professions I never heard one pass her lips, but you could see by her eyes that she almost adored her protectress.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

To restrain him as much as might be, by her own manners, she was immediately preparing to speak with exquisite calmness and gravity of the weather and the night; but scarcely had she begun, scarcely had they passed the sweep-gate and joined the other carriage, than she found her subject cut up—her hand seized—her attention demanded, and Mr. Elton actually making violent love to her: availing himself of the precious opportunity, declaring sentiments which must be already well known, hoping—fearing—adoring—ready to die if she refused him; but flattering himself that his ardent attachment and unequalled love and unexampled passion could not fail of having some effect, and in short, very much resolved on being seriously accepted as soon as possible.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

I asked her what music meant to her—you know I'm always curious to know that particular thing; and she did not know what it meant to her, except that she adored it, that it was the greatest of the arts, and that it meant more than life to her.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

If he had the least idea how I adored his mistress, well he might!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)