Deified, spelled /ˈdiː.ɪ.faɪd/, is a verb that means to worship or make a god out of someone or something. The word is pronounced with a long "e" sound in the first syllable followed by a short "i" sound and a stressed "y" sound. This stress on the "y" sound is what contributes to the spelling of the word with the letter "i" instead of "ei". The phonetic transcription also highlights the two syllables with the secondary stress pattern in the word, making it easier to pronounce correctly.
Deified is an adjective derived from the verb "deify," which refers to the act of treating or regarding someone or something as divine or godlike. When an individual or an object is deified, it is elevated or immortalized in a way that it is worshipped or revered as a god or a deity, often due to exceptional qualities, achievements, or significance attributed to it.
In a religious or mythological context, deification can occur when a mortal, upon their death or through exceptional deeds, is believed to become a god or achieve godlike status. The act of deification often involves the creation of religious cults or practices dedicated to the exalted person or object, where rituals, sacrifices, or prayers are performed to honor them.
Figuratively, the term "deified" can also be used outside of religious or mythological contexts. In this sense, it means to highly praise or idolize someone to an extreme extent, granting them an almost godlike status in the eyes of their admirers. This can occur in various fields, such as celebrity culture, where individuals with great talent or significant influence are deified by their fans or followers who view them as infallible or beyond reproach.
In summary, "deified" describes the act of considering someone or something as divine, either in a literal religious or mythological sense, or in a metaphorical way of idolizing someone to an extraordinary degree.
The word deified comes from the Latin word deificare, which is a combination of deus meaning god and facere meaning to make. Therefore, deified essentially means made into a god or treated as a god.