noun

• 1The worship of saints.

  ‘The companion to media demonisation is the hagiolatry of Western leaders and apologetics for their crimes.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In this country and in USA there is a distinguished tradition of hagiolatry of these scoundrels.’
  • ‘But this kind of hagiolatry might spread the length and breadth of the continent with the appearance of further saints of this type.’
  • ‘It is calculated that more than 2,000 books have been published on him, but a great deal of it is hagiolatry, lacking critical rigour and dispassionate appraisal.’
  • ‘Nevertheless, the ceremony is one of the most ancient blessings, just as the cult of the Baptist is very ancient in Catholic hagiolatry.’

  1. 1.1Undue veneration of a famous person.
     ‘Writing on film is already trashy enough, already skewed by celebrity suck-up values and movie star hagiolatry.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Most biographies of him have been exercises in hagiolatry, failing to mention his considerable weaknesses.’