adulator

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•u•late /ˈædʒəˌleɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to admire or flatter too much:
   fans adulating a rock star.

ad•u•la•tion /ˌædʒəˈleɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
ad•u•la•tor, n.  [countable]  
ad•u•la•to•ry /ˈædʒələˌtɔri/  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ad•u•late  (aj′ə lāt′), v.t., -lat•ed, -lat•ing. 

1. to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely.

• Latin adūlātiōn- (stem of adūlātiō) servile flattery, fawning, equivalent. to adūlāt(us), past participle of adūlārī, -āre to fawn upon (of dogs), apparently a nominal derivative, with ad- ad-, of an otherwise unattested base + -iōn- -ion
• Middle French
• back formation from adulation, Middle English 1770–80

ad′u•la′tion, n. 
ad′u•la′tor, n. 
ad•u•la•to•ry  (aj′ə lə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē), adj.