Adulation

 WORD OF THE DAY

adulation / noun / aj-uh-LAY-shun

Definition
: extreme or excessive admiration or flattery

Examples
“The history that emerges here is of a band yo-yoing between attempts to be taken seriously as artists, then coming back for more boyband fame and adulation.”
– Cath Clarke, The Guardian (London), 18 May 2022

Over the course of the six-week-and-counting trial, Vasquez has generated admiration, speculation and adulation online.
— Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 25 May 2022

Did You Know?
If adulation makes you think of a dog panting after its beloved person, you're on the right etymological track; the word ultimately comes from the Latin verb adūlārī, meaning "to fawn on" (a sense used specifically of the affectionate behavior of dogs) or "to praise insincerely."
Adulation has been in use in English since the 15th century.
The verb adulate, noun adulator, and adjective adulatory later followed dutifully behind.