idolize

the word 'idolize' is a relatively modern english formation, constructed from the noun 'idol' and the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize'. its core component, 'idol', traces back to the greek 'eidōlon', meaning a phantom, image, or likeness, derived from 'eidos' (form, shape). in ancient religious contexts, an eidōlon was a physical representation of a deity, which evolved in christian latin to carry the negative connotation of a 'false god'. the suffix '-ize', of greek origin, systematically converts nouns into verbs meaning 'to make into' or 'to treat like'. therefore, the literal morphemic construction 'to make into an idol' perfectly captures the modern abstract meanings of excessive admiration or worship, bridging the ancient concept of a physical object of veneration to the contemporary act of treating a person with similar, often uncritical, devotion.

Structure: idol (idol) + ize (verb-forming suffix) idol (from latin idolum, meaning 'image, form, phantom', via greek eidōlon, from eidos 'form, shape') + ize (verb-forming suffix from greek -izein via latin -izare, indicating 'to make, to become, to act like').