Adulation is excessive admiration or praise, the kind that goes way overboard. When fans show adulation for a celebrity, they might scream, faint, or treat the person like they can do no wrong. It's more intense than simple appreciation: it's worship-level enthusiasm.

The word carries a hint of criticism. While it's wonderful to admire someone's talents or achievements, adulation suggests people have stopped thinking clearly. A teacher might receive well-deserved praise for excellent work, but adulation would be students treating her like she's perfect and could never make mistakes.

You see adulation at concerts when fans mob their favorite musicians, or in history when crowds surrounded powerful rulers, hanging on their every word. Sometimes people show adulation for athletes, actors, or other celebrities, forgetting that even talented, successful people are still human beings with flaws.

The related word adulate means to praise excessively, and an adulatory comment is one that praises someone in this over-the-top way. While showing genuine appreciation for someone's real accomplishments makes sense, adulation means you've crossed into flattery so extreme it's lost touch with reality.