What does adore mean?
To adore is to love someone or something with deep affection and devotion. The verb carries a warmth that goes beyond mere liking: a child may adore a grandparent, a fan may adore a musician, and a person may simply adore a favorite food or city. Alongside this everyday emotional sense, adore retains an older, more solemn meaning — the worship or veneration of a deity — which survives mainly in religious and literary contexts. The word comes from the Latin adorare, meaning to pray to or worship, formed from ad- (to) and orare (to speak or pray), so its original sense was literally to speak words of reverence toward a god. Today it is most often used informally and affectionately, making it one of the most expressive ways English offers to signal enthusiastic, heartfelt fondness. Its derivatives, including adorable and adoration, are equally common in both speech and writing.
verbTo love and respect someone deeply; to worship or venerate, especially as a deity. In informal usage, it also means to like something very much.
- To love someone deeply and devotedly
- To like something very much (informal)
- To worship or venerate as a deity (formal/religious)
"She adored her grandmother and spent every summer at her house."
"He absolutely adores his two young daughters."
"In ancient Rome, worshippers would adore the gods at ornate temples."
The same word you use for your favorite dessert once described kneeling before gods — 'adore' literally meant to speak TO a deity, mouth to the divine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adore
Adore derives from the Latin adorare, meaning to worship or pray to, composed of the prefix ad- (to) and orare (to speak, pray, or plead). It entered English via Old French in the medieval period, initially carrying the religious sense of worshipping God. Over time, especially from around the 16th century onward, its meaning broadened into secular usage, describing deep personal love and enthusiastic liking. Cognates appear across Romance languages, including French adorer, Italian adorare, and Spanish adorar.
Related word forms
How adore is actually used
In everyday speech, 'adore' is warmer and more emphatic than 'like' but less formal than 'love' in some contexts. The religious sense of worship is now largely confined to liturgical language. British speakers frequently use it casually about food, places, and experiences ('I adore this café').
Easily confused with adore
Adore means to love deeply or worship, while adorn means to decorate or add beauty to something.