Why “adore” is a great word
ADORE — [Verb] To regard with the utmost love, respect, and often worshipful devotion. From Middle English *adoren, aouren*, from Old French *adorer*, from Latin *adōrāre* ("to pray to, worship"), from *ad* ("to") + *ōrāre* ("to speak, pray"). First attested in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "love," which suggests a deep, enduring attachment, or "revere," which emphasizes a formal and distant awe, to adore is to engage in a fervent, personal devotion that verges on the sacred. It is the besotted gaze at a sleeping child, the meticulous polishing of a cherished heirloom, the rapt silence before a transcendent performance—a humble, human act of elevation performed not in a temple, but in the ordinary sanctuary of the heart.