reverence 1 of 2

Definition of reverencenext

reverence

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reverence differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reverence are adore, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," 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 can adore be used instead of reverence?

The words adore and reverence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When is it sensible to use revere instead of reverence?

While the synonyms revere and reverence are close in meaning, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

Where would venerate be a reasonable alternative to reverence?

In some situations, the words venerate and reverence are roughly equivalent. However, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

In what contexts can worship take the place of reverence?

The synonyms worship and reverence are sometimes interchangeable, but worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

How does the verb reverence differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reverence are adore, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," 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 can adore be used instead of reverence?

The words adore and reverence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When is it sensible to use revere instead of reverence?

While the synonyms revere and reverence are close in meaning, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

Where would venerate be a reasonable alternative to reverence?

In some situations, the words venerate and reverence are roughly equivalent. However, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

In what contexts can worship take the place of reverence?

The synonyms worship and reverence are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 reverence
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
Noun
Joseph navigated those years in the wake with unadorned reverence, while starting a family of his own and directing some of the most transcendent music videos of the 2010s. Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026 And the sense of reverence for the wrecks is palpable, especially in those who choose to explore these watery historical sites. Brian Higgins, Outside, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence
Verb
  • Dozens of firearms also were recovered, including handguns with images of Santa Muerte (a Mexican folk saint venerated by drug dealers) and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
    Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • In ancient Greece certain mortals who had achieved kleos (glory or fame) in life were venerated in death.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The case reached an appeals court, which applied a legal standard that granted commissioners significant deference.
    Malena Carollo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • As noted earlier, most antitrust cases fail, and courts generally afford defendants substantial deference.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Every aide should worship at the great Ernie Zampese’s feet.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Clint, who worshipped his dad, was his sidekick on those travels in a Volkswagen van retrofitted to make room for a couple of horses.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The presence of multiple gods, each worthy of veneration, creates room for ideological, and even moral, diversity.
    Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Some Buddhist teachers emphasize Buddha’s teachings of mindfulness over relic veneration, creating different approaches to these sacred objects across various sects.
    Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The ballets that dancers revere most and that companies rely on to fill theaters are mostly fairytales or Shakespearean tragedies about straight couples—Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet—in which the woman dies or is turned into a bird.
    Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The one exception might be Scott Peacock’s recipe, which is as revered as the man himself and was the starting point for Quittner’s own biscuit journey.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the first act, a love potion instantly transforms contempt into adoration.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Coupled with adoration is an entitlement people feel to her, an element antithetical to her swag.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • What could have been a biting portrait of the glorification of female beauty is softened by a simple happy ending—in a world where no ending can possibly be simple, whether happy or not.
    Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
  • What’s troubling is the gradual and persistent normalization of eating disorder culture, which includes the glorification of one specific body type to the exclusion and detriment of others.
    Michelle Konstantinovsky, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The prophets were understood to have been sent by God to chastise the people of Israel for falling into idolatry and other evils and to urge repentance.
    Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on reverence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster