cult

Universal Words noun, adjective noun 1 [usuallysing.] ~ (of sth) a way of life, an attitude, an idea, etc. that has become very popular: the cult of physical fitness * An extraordinary personality cult had been created around the leader. 2 a small group of people who have extreme religious beliefs and who are not part of any established religion: Their son ran away from home and joined a cult. 3 (formal) a system of religious beliefs and practices: the Chinese cult of ancestor worship adjective [onlybeforenoun] very popular with a particular group of people; treating sb/sth as a cult figure, etc: a cult movie / book * The singer has become a cult figure in America. * The cartoon has achieved cult status. * The TV series has a cult following among young people.