worship

verb

Save Word

wor·ship | \ ˈwər-shəp

also ˈwȯr- \

worshipped also worshiped; worshipping also worshiping

Definition of worship

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power

2 : to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion a celebrity worshipped by her fans

intransitive verb

: to perform or take part in worship or an act of worship

worship

noun

Definition of worship (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power also : an act of expressing such reverence

2 : a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual

3 : extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem worship of the dollar

4 chiefly British : a person of importance —used as a title for various officials (such as magistrates and some mayors)

Other Words from worship Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About worship

Choose the Right Synonym for worship

Verb

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 worship in a Sentence

Verb Many ancient cultures worshipped the sun and moon. They worship at this temple. I worship God in my own way. Noun worship of gods and goddesses Worship services are held daily. the media's worship of celebrities

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Rebey conducts bible study and worship services at the center twice weekly. — La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9 Nov. 2021 Artists who live, work, volunteer, worship, or participate in art classes in Newton are invited to submit work for the public art project. — BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2021 Grace Congregational Church does not have many members these days, but the dozen or so people who do worship at the century-old building on a quiet Harlem side street like to get there early. — New York Times, 22 Oct. 2021 His church was one of the few where congregants could worship inside. — NBC News, 23 Aug. 2021 The food was abysmal; Muslims were denied the right to worship and were fed pork. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2021 But this was always the same man who scolded pro-lifers to leave his state and had to be restrained by the Supreme Court from restricting New Yorkers’ right to worship. — The Editors, National Review, 10 Aug. 2021 Most previous religious liberty cases related to the coronavirus have centered around the right to worship and the case could set a precedent for future mask mandates, the Post reported. — Fox News, 22 July 2021 It should be noted, Lawmakers already had passed a bill — Senate Bill 263 — that limits local governments and Holcomb from restricting the right to worship in-person during an emergency. — Kaitlin Lange, The Indianapolis Star, 11 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun For months in 2020, experts and politicians advised virtually all Americans to remain inside and avoid large gatherings, even for worship or to exercise other core freedoms. — WSJ, 15 Oct. 2021 The blast occurred in a Shiite mosque in Kunduz province during the weekly Friday prayer service at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque when members of the Shiite religious minority typically come in large numbers for worship. — BostonGlobe.com, 8 Oct. 2021 The blast occurred in a Shiite mosque in Kunduz province during the weekly Friday prayer service at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque when members of the Shiite religious minority typically come in large numbers for worship. — Fox News, 8 Oct. 2021 The largest settlements, two of which reach seven figures, involve churches that sued last year over rules shutting down in-person services, limiting attendance for indoor worship and prohibiting singing and chanting because of the pandemic. — Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2021 For many Jewish Temple Mount activists, the main aim is a place for Jewish worship at the site, Ariel said. — Ilan Ben Zion, ajc, 25 Aug. 2021 The hymnal front-loads the difficulty in selecting songs for worship. — Dominic Pino, National Review, 1 Aug. 2021 As the pandemic wanes and many religious institutions reopen for full-capacity worship, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are taking it slow. — Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 July 2021 Cartwright turned the onsite chapel into the main bar-restaurant—the upper level, where there’s now a grand piano—was where the wardens and staff used to sit for worship, looking down over their inmates. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 26 May 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'worship.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for worship

Verb

Middle English worþschipen, worschepen, worshippen "to hold in honor, esteem, show respect for, revere (a deity), conduct religious rites," derivative of wurðscip, worschip "honor, esteem, religious faith, rank, value" — more at worship entry 2

Noun

Middle English wurðscip, worschip "honor, esteem, renown, veneration, religious faith, a person's social standing, rank, value," going back to Old English weorþscipe, wurþscipe "honor, esteem, veneration, dignity," from weorþ, wyrþ, as noun "value" and as adjective "valuable, having status, deserving" + -scipe -ship — more at worth entry 1, worth entry 3

Learn More About worship

Dictionary Entries Near worship

worser

worship

worshipable

Statistics for worship

Last Updated

22 Nov 2021

Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worship. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for worship

worship

verb

English Language Learners Definition of worship

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to honor or respect (someone or something) as a god

: to show respect and love for God or for a god especially by praying, having religious services, etc.

: to love or honor (someone or something) very much or too much

worship

noun

English Language Learners Definition of worship (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in the same god : the act of worshipping God or a god

: excessive admiration for someone

—used as a title when addressing or referring to certain officials (such as mayors and magistrates) —used with his, her, your, or their

See the full definition for worship in the English Language Learners Dictionary

worship

noun

wor·ship | \ ˈwər-shəp