Idolatising

Idolatising refers to the act of treating someone or something as an idol, characterized by excessive admiration, reverence, or worshipful regard. In practice, it involves an uncritical or highly idealized perception that may overlook flaws or complexities. The term is a less common variant of the standard spellings idolising (British English) or idolizing (American English) and its noun forms idolisation or idolization.

Etymology and usage: the word combines idol, meaning an object of worship, with a verb-forming suffix. While idolising is widely used in everyday language, idolatising appears mainly in extended or stylized writing and is sometimes considered a nonstandard variant. The associated noun idolisation/idolization denotes the process or outcome of making someone into an idol.

Contexts and mechanisms: idolatising occurs across contexts such as celebrity culture, sports fandom, political figures, and fictional characters. Psychologically, it can be related to idealization bias and parasocial relationships, where individuals form intimate or worshipful bonds with media figures despite limited or one-sided interaction.

Criticisms and implications: whileidolatising can reflect genuine admiration, it can also distort judgment, encourage uncritical endorsement, and amplify disappointment when the idol fails to meet imagined standards. In extreme cases, it may contribute to collective scrutiny, scapegoating, or hostility toward dissenting viewpoints.

See also: idolatry, idolisation, idolization, fandom, parasocial relationship, celebrity worship syndrome.