venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈve-nə-ˌrāt 

venerated; venerating

transitive verb

1

: to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference

2

: to honor (an icon, a relic, etc.) with a ritual act of devotion

venerator

ˈve-nə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

Among the pantheon of ancient Roman deities, has any been so venerated—that is, deeply respected—over the centuries as Venus, goddess of love and beauty? Of course, one may personally prefer Vulcan or, um, Robigus (the god associated with wheat blight), but from Venus de Milo to the classic pop song “Venus,” Venus has inspired far more enduring reverence. To venerate something or someone—whether an artist or a saint—is to hold them in similarly high regard, which makes sense given venerate’s origins. The word comes from the Latin verb venerārī, which can mean “to solicit the good will of,” “to worship,” “to pay homage to,” and “to hold in awe.” That verb, in turn, is related to—you guessed it—Venus.

Synonyms of venerate

• worship
• revere
• reverence

Choose the Right Synonym for venerate

revere, reverence, venerate, worship, adore mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully.

revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

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

venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

Examples of venerate in a Sentence

a writer venerated by generations of admirers

She is venerated as a saint.

Recent Examples on the Web

Butlers are kicked in the shins and told their children are ugly; a patriarch’s idiotic military decisions are venerated for their spirit; blood spilling out of a servant’s wound is more an issue for the rug. — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

Coyotes, the true American canine, have roamed this continent for more than 2 million years and were venerated by many of those same Indigenous peoples who once made camp in Big Sky. — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Dmitry and Evdokia were venerated separately for centuries – her on May 30, him on June 1 – until the 2015 decree that combined them. — Diana Dukhanova, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery with emblematic golden domes, is venerated by both the Russian and Ukrainian wings of the Orthodox Church as one of their most important spiritual centers. — CBS News, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin venerātus, past participle of Latin venerārī "to solicit the good will of (a deity), worship, pay homage to, hold in awe," verbal derivative of vener-, venus "sexual desire, qualities exciting desire, charm, (as proper noun) goddess personifying sexual attractiveness" (probably originally in cognate accusative phrase Venerem venerārī "to propitiate Venus," extended to other deities) — more at venus

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for venerate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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Kids Definition

venerate

verb

ven·​er·​ate ˈven-ə-ˌrāt 

venerated; venerating

: to show deep respect for

venerated their ancestors