Greatly admired and loved someone as if they were perfect or superhuman.
From 'idol' (Greek 'eidolon', meaning image or ghost), through Old French. Originally referred to worshipping religious statues, then evolved to mean intense admiration of people.
The word originally meant worshipping statues of gods—so when we 'idolize' celebrities now, we're literally doing the same thing ancient people did with stone gods, just with different images to worship.
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