deify

verb

de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio) ˈdā- How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying
Synonyms of deifynext

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a god of
b
: to take as an object of worship
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth

Synonyms of deify

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Examples of deify in a Sentence

The people deified the emperor. materialistic people who deify money
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Miss Piggy attributes that were once gags are now the very aspects of her character that millennials (and, to a lesser extent, younger Gen-Xers) deify her for. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 The period’s most influential critic, Clement Greenberg, cast Avery as a sort of John the Baptist to the artists whom Greenberg had tried to deify. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 Anyway, there was a tendency by some people to focus on a person and deify them and denigrate the others. — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 May 2026 Service could define you, even somewhat deify you today. — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deify

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of deify was in the 14th century

Rhymes for deify

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Browse Nearby Words

deiform
deify
deign
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Cite this Entry

“Deify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deify. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

deify

verb
de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying
1
a
: to make a god of
Roman emperors were often deified
b
: to take as an object of worship
Druids deified oak trees
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth
deify money
deification
ˌdē-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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