put on a pedestal

verb

To hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree.

Similar
cherishglorifyidealizeidolizepedestalizerevereworship
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Meanings

verbput on a pedestal (third-person singular simple present puts on a pedestal, present participle putting on a pedestal, simple past and past participle put on a pedestal)

present singular third person puts on a pedestal · participle present putting on a pedestal · alternative place on a pedestal · alternative set on a pedestal

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree.

    Along the way, Japanese put machines on a pedestal, cherished and befriended them.

    2000 May 1, Tim Larimer, “Rage for the Machine”, in Time
    3 more examples

    A group of young literary men—and one or two women—put him on a pedestal and kissed the earth before it.

    1905, Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, “The Bell in the Fog”, in The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories

    The months, even years, of allegations about President Clinton's private life seem to have toughened—and often exasperated—an electorate that now has more realistic expectations and is not as quick to put politicians on a pedestal.

    1998 April 19, Richard L. Berke, “In New Climate, More Politicians Surmount Imperfect Private Lives”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 Aug 2012

    He put her on a pedestal, showered her with gifts, and worshiped the ground she walked on.

    2010, Jennifer Harper, Still A Friend of Mine, →ISBN

    Synonyms: cherish, glorify, idealize, idolize, pedestalize, revere, worship

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree.

Similar
cherishglorifyidealizeidolizepedestalizerevereworship

Translations

Bulgarian изди́гам на пиедеста́л, поста́вям на пиедеста́л
  • изди́гам на пиедеста́л (izdígam na piedestál)to hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
  • поста́вям на пиедеста́л (postávjam na piedestál)to hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Finnish nostaa jalustalle
  • nostaa jalustalleto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
French placer sur un piédestal, mettre sur un piédestal
  • placer sur un piédestalto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
  • mettre sur un piédestalto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Italian mettere su un piedistallo
  • mettere su un piedistalloto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Polish wynosić na piedestał, wynieść na piedestał
  • wynosić na piedestałto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
  • wynieść na piedestałto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Russian превозноси́ть, превознести́
  • превозноси́ть (prevoznosítʹ)to hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
  • превознести́ (prevoznestí)to hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Spanish poner en un pedestal
  • poner en un pedestalto hold in very high esteem, especially to an exaggerated degree
Cite this entry
APA

put on a pedestal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20a%20pedestal

MLA

“put on a pedestal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20a%20pedestal. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put on a pedestal,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20on%20a%20pedestal.

Source: put on a pedestal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.