to love or admire someone extremely and think they are perfect; to treat someone like a hero or idol.
From 'idol' (Greek 'eidolon', image/phantom) + '-ize' (to make). The suffix '-ize' was added to create a verb meaning to treat as an idol in the 19th century.
Psychologists worry about idolization because it sets up both the fan and the idol for disappointment—when you treat humans as perfect, revealing their humanity becomes betrayal in your mind.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.