Idolater

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌaɪˈdɑlətəɹ/

Definitions

1. A person who engages in the practice of idol worship or shows profound admiration for a particular figure or object, often in a way that overshadows critical thinking
2. An individual characterized by an intense devotion to the veneration of images or people, frequently overlooking their flaws in favor of adulation
3. A person who excessively reveres an object or individual, often elevating their status to an almost divine level while neglecting rational assessment

Etymology: "Idolater" entered English in Middle English as "ydolatrer," borrowed from Middle French "idolatre," which came from the Late Latin "idololatra." That Latin term was itself a combination of "idolum," meaning image or idol, and the Greek-derived "-latra," meaning worshipper, so the word literally names someone who serves images. Its ancestry is therefore a mix of Latin and Greek building blocks passed along through French. The more surprising detail is what English used before this import arrived. Old English had its own word, "dēofolġielda," which translated literally as "devil worshiper." Speakers of the early language cast idol-worship as devil-worship, and that native term was pushed aside by the borrowed one, which carried a more neutral sense of simply worshipping images.

Synonyms: worshiper, devotee, fanatic, enthusiast, follower

Antonyms: detractor, critic, opponent