What does adulate mean?
Adulate is a formal verb meaning to praise or flatter someone in an excessive, servile, or insincere way. Unlike ordinary compliments, adulation implies an ulterior motive — the flatterer seeks favor, advancement, or protection rather than simply expressing admiration. A courtier might adulate a king; employees might adulate a powerful boss; sycophants adulate celebrities. The word almost always carries disapproval, suggesting that the praise is demeaning to the giver and unearned by the receiver. It derives from the Latin adulari, meaning to fawn upon like a dog, which explains its connotation of groveling devotion. In modern usage, the related noun 'adulation' appears more frequently than the verb itself, but both belong to elevated, often critical registers — journalists and essayists use them to skewer hero worship, cults of personality, and the culture of flattery that surrounds the rich and famous.
verbTo praise or flatter someone excessively and servilely; to fawn over in an obsequious manner.
- To flatter or praise someone obsequiously, especially to gain favor.
"The courtiers adulated the king, competing to outdo one another in extravagant praise."
"Critics accused the biographer of adulating his subject rather than examining him honestly."
"Surrounded by aides who adulated him, the CEO gradually lost touch with honest feedback."
Adulate comes from a Latin word meaning 'to fawn upon like a dog' — its earliest English uses were literally about dogs wagging their tails.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adulate
Adulate comes from the Latin verb adulari, meaning 'to fawn upon' — originally used of dogs showing servile affection by wagging their tails. English adopted it in the early 17th century, alongside the noun 'adulation', during a period when many Latin verbs entered scholarly and literary vocabulary. Its cognates include the Latin-derived forms adulator and adulatory, all preserving the sense of obsequious flattery.
Related word forms
How adulate is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; always carries a negative connotation of insincere, excessive, or self-interested praise. The noun form 'adulation' is considerably more common than the verb.
Easily confused with adulate
To adulterate is to make something impure by adding inferior substances, whereas to adulate is to flatter someone excessively.