What does adulated mean?
"Adulated" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "adulate," meaning to have praised or flattered someone excessively and usually insincerely. The word belongs to formal and literary English and nearly always carries a critical edge: to say a figure was adulated suggests not genuine esteem but sycophancy — applause that is servile, disproportionate, or self-interested. It appears most naturally in the passive construction, as in "the star was adulated by an uncritical press." The term derives from the Latin verb adulari, which originally described the fawning behavior of a dog wagging its tail, a vivid image that still colors its connotations today. Its noun form, "adulation," is considerably more common in everyday use. Writers reach for "adulated" when they want to imply that admiration has curdled into worship, distinguishing it sharply from neutral verbs such as "praised" or "respected."
verbPast tense and past participle of "adulate": to have praised or flattered someone excessively and often insincerely.
- To have shown excessive admiration or flattery toward someone, typically insincerely or servilely.
"The young novelist was adulated by critics who had once dismissed her debut as derivative."
"The dictator was adulated by state media while dissenting voices were silenced."
"Though adulated throughout his career, the conductor remained famously indifferent to praise."
It traces back to a Latin verb meaning to fawn on someone like a dog wagging its tail — so being adulated has always carried a whiff of servile flattery.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adulated
"Adulated" comes from the Latin verb adulari, meaning to flatter or fawn upon — literally likened in classical usage to a dog wagging its tail in servile greeting. The word entered English via the noun "adulation" in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance period, with the verb "adulate" following later. It shares this Latin root with "adulator" (a flatterer) and the adjective "adulatory," all preserving the original sense of excessive, obsequious praise.
Related word forms
How adulated is actually used
Formal to literary in register; almost always carries a negative connotation, implying the praise was excessive, sycophantic, or undeserved. Used chiefly in the passive, as in "was adulated by...".
Easily confused with adulated
"Adulterated" means made impure by adding inferior substances, while "adulated" means excessively flattered or praised.