Deify — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈdē-ə-ˌfī/ de·i·fy

Meaning & Definition of Deify

Deify (verb)

  1. to make a god of
  2. to take as an object of worship
  3. to glorify as of supreme worth

Deify (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to love or admire too much

    "materialistic people who deify money"

    similar: adore, adulate, canonize, dote (on), hero-worship, idolize, worship
    related: appreciate, cherish, esteem, prize, treasure, value, fancy, favor, like, prefer, regard, hallow, respect, revere, venerate, approve, endorse, support
    near: abhor, abominate, despise, detest, disdain, dislike, hate, loathe, belittle, deprecate, disparage, misprize, put down

  2. to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power

    "some ancient pagans deified such objects of nature as trees and rivers"

    similar: adore, glorify, revere, reverence, venerate, worship
    related: admire, honor, love, regard, respect, apotheosize, canonize, dignify, exalt, lionize, magnify, extol, laud, praise, delight, gratify, please, satisfy
    near: blaspheme, desecrate, profane, violate, affront, dishonor, disrespect, insult, offend, outrage, pique, ridicule, scorn, slight, displease, defame, disparage, libel, malign, slander, slur, smear

  3. to assign a high status or value to

    "the sense of entitlement felt by athletes who have been deified all their lives"

    similar: aggrandize, canonize, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, exalt, glorify, magnify
    related: boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift, heighten, intensify, idealize, romanticize, sanitize, sugarcoat, acclaim, extol, honor, laud, praise
    opposite: abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate
    near: belittle, decry, depreciate, detract, disparage, minimize

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Deify

The most common words with a similar meaning to Deify:

adore, adulate, canonize, dote (on), hero-worship, idolize, worship, glorify, revere, reverence, venerate, aggrandize, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, exalt, magnify

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Deify

Words with the opposite meaning of Deify:

abase, degrade, demean, humble, humiliate

Related Words for Deify

appreciate, cherish, esteem, prize, treasure, value, fancy, favor, like, prefer, regard, hallow, respect, approve, endorse, support, admire, honor, love, apotheosize, lionize, extol, laud, praise, delight, gratify, please, satisfy, boost, lift

Near Antonyms of Deify

abhor, abominate, despise, detest, disdain, dislike, hate, loathe, belittle, deprecate, disparage, misprize, put down, blaspheme, desecrate, profane, violate, affront, dishonor, disrespect, insult, offend, outrage, pique, ridicule, scorn, slight, displease, defame, libel

Word Forms of Deify

Inflections: deified, deifying

Origin & Etymology of Deify

Middle English, from Middle French deifier, from Late Latin deificare, from Latin deus god + -ficare -fy

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Deify

Frequently Asked Questions about Deify

What does "Deify" mean?

"Deify" means to make a god of. As a verb, it is defined as: to make a god of. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Deify"?

Other words for "Deify" include adore, adulate, canonize, dote (on), hero-worship, idolize, worship and glorify. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Deify" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Deify"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Deify". Common alternatives include adore, adulate, canonize, dote (on), hero-worship, idolize, worship, glorify, revere and reverence.

What is the opposite of "Deify"?

Antonyms of "Deify" include abase, degrade, demean, humble and humiliate. Near antonyms include abhor, abominate, despise and detest.

How do you use "Deify" in a sentence?

Examples of "Deify" in a sentence: "materialistic people who deify money"; "some ancient pagans deified such objects of nature as trees and rivers"; "the sense of entitlement felt by athletes who have been deified all their lives".

Is "Deify" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Deify" is a verb.

Is "Deify" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Deify" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Deify"?

"Deify" is pronounced /ˈdē-ə-ˌfī/ and divided into syllables as de·i·fy.