# adore

/əˈdɔɹ/ (US) · /ɐdˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/adore
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to love deeply

verb · CEFR B1

to love someone very much and feel great respect for them.

For teachers: to regard with deep, often selfless affection and respect. Transitive — requires a direct object.

- It is clear that they adore their new baby daughter.
- Throughout their fifty years of marriage, he continued to adore her with the same intensity as the day they met.

### 2. to like very much

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to like something very much, often used for food or hobbies.

For teachers: to have a strong liking or preference for something. Informal in register when applied to inanimate objects or activities.

- I simply adore this chocolate cake; it is the best I have ever tasted.
- She adores spending her Sunday afternoons browsing through the local antique markets for hidden treasures.

### 3. to worship

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to show great respect and love for a god.

For teachers: to worship or honour as a deity. Often used in religious or highly formal contexts.

- The people gathered in the temple to adore their gods.
- The ancient hymns were composed specifically to adore the creator and express the congregation's humble devotion.

## Examples

- I absolutely adore your new house.
- She has always adored her grandfather and follows his advice on almost everything.
- While critics were divided on the film's artistic merit, the public seemed to adore the lead actor's charismatic performance, leading to record-breaking ticket sales.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.