adulate

/ˈæʤəˌleɪt/

Other forms: adulated; adulating; adulates

To adulate is to flatter someone. A lot. Like, drop-on-your-knees-and-clasp-your-hands-and-say-"you-are-the-greatest-ever-to-walk-the-earth" a lot.

The most interesting syllable in adulate is the ul-, which comes from ulos, a Latin word meaning "tail." The idea is that if you're heaping flattery on someone, you might as well be a dog wagging its tail, panting for a treat. Not that there's anything wrong with a little flattery. Or dogs.

Definitions of adulate

1. verb

   flatter in an obsequious manner
   type of:

   blandish, flatter

   praise somewhat dishonestly