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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adore differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adore are reverence, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When could revere be used to replace adore?

The words revere and adore can be used in similar contexts, but revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When can reverence be used instead of adore?

While in some cases nearly identical to adore, reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring.

reverenced the academy's code of honor

When would venerate be a good substitute for adore?

The meanings of venerate and adore largely overlap; however, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When is worship a more appropriate choice than adore?

In some situations, the words worship and adore are roughly equivalent. However, worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adore But Sen already has legions of fans who adore their storytelling, have for years clung to her every post and update, and have read the digital equivalent of thousands of pages of her writing. Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025 The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more. Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025 Everyone seemed not to simply like her, but to absolutely adore her. Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2025 Frampton is adored in Irish boxing circles as a gritty fighter who claimed belts in two divisions without ever straying far from his working-class roots. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adore
Verb
  • While some may love them for their easy slip-on design and preppy, nautical charm, others need a little more convincing to embrace the trend.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Arsenal would love to knock off Newcastle United and scoop up three points this weekend, but a single notch on the scoreboard would bring some relief on its own.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rulers on the Nile did not rely solely on their own human powers but worshipped and propitiated a natural world that was alive with gods.
    Vanessa Taylor, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Parishioners have been forced to worship in an adjacent community center for nearly a year while the church continues its insurance settlement negotiations.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For all their differences in background, temperament, and approaches to art, Matisse and Picasso both venerated Cézanne, Delacroix, Manet, and van Gogh.
    Christopher C. Gorham September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Trump’s insistence on honoring these Confederates implicitly venerates their politics — and provides a justification for his own rule and ruin tactics, which so often echo them.
    Time, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Walk along the bay, venture to Fort Worden Historical State Park, or make your way to the iconic Point Wilson Lighthouse and enjoy the vibrant colors along the way.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
  • On the plus side, this means wearing cropped jeans can be a great way to show off your favorite sneakers or enjoy a pair of flats without having the hem drag or hide the shoes.
    Renata Joffre, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Deilus has found that many of her customers like to style vintage books on shelves or coffee tables and will keep her eyes peeled for interesting titles while thrifting.
    Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2025
  • For those who like to stay on top of their workout routine while traveling, The Fifth also features an on-site Fitness Suite with modern equipment.
    Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As a schoolgirl, Muriel was revered by staff and pupils alike.
    Frances Wilson September 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Raised in the Highbridge section of the Bronx not far from where DJ Kool Herc threw the 1973 party revered as rap music’s spiritual baby shower, Cardi bookends those songs with experiments in accentuating and contrasting her distinctly New York diction.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Children all over the world grow up idolizing Lionel Messi, but for Mateo Silvetti, Inter Miami’s latest signing, his admiration for the Argentine icon is personal.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
  • But the only clear finding so far, law enforcement officials said, was that the attacker had come to idolize mass shooters, particularly those who have killed children.
    Ernesto Londoño, Twin Cities, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But Pi is precociously enlightened, his innocence not a problem to be rectified but a quality to be reverenced.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
  • But Trump also reverenced the tough job Emmer has in keeping the GOP majority together, with which Emmer is all too familiar after the chaotic last two years.
    Emily Brooks, The Hill, 3 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adore. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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