worship

verb

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)

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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

Stars ranging from Kim Kardashian West to Khloé Kardashian to Vanessa Hudgens are quick to worship at the JLo style altar. — Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Alex Rodriguez Calls Jennifer Lopez a 'Style Icon' as She Celebrates Her 50th Birthday," 24 July 2019 King David appears to exhibit an almost superhuman equanimity in the face of the death of his son, whose life was taken by a wrathful and vengeful God — and David’s first act after the killing of his son is to go to worship the killer. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "Judge, if You Must, but Curb the Glee: Notes from Las Vegas," 18 July 2019 His wife, Naomi Fuchs, who attended the rededication with him, had worshiped there with her family as a child, when she was known as Naomi Groob. — Richard Goldstein, New York Times, "Max Fuchs, G.I. Cantor in Historic Battlefield Service, Is Dead at 96," 4 July 2018 Members of a nearby Sikh temple said the four had worshipped there. — Fox News, "Truck driver accused of killing wife, 3 other family members in Ohio arrested in Connecticut," 3 July 2019 So here are seven ways to enjoy the heck out of yourself this weekend, from great music and theater to fun in the sun and a chance to worship ice cream. — Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, "7 crazy-good Bay Area things to do this weekend, July 19-21," 18 July 2019 Approximately 130 people come to worship on an average Sunday, according to Nsengiyumva. — Mary Grace Keller, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Gunfire recording on Westminster church’s voicemail prompts cancellation of services," 15 July 2019 Watching people play Mario Maker 2, or diving into it yourself, can feel like stepping into a church erected to worship pixelated death and the frustrated streams of your best friends. — Julie Muncy, WIRED, "The Super Mario Maker 2 Community Is a Haven of Player Creativity," 10 July 2019 The earliest sculptures were placeholders for gods, objects to be worshipped. — Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, "Will Los Angeles Lose a Beloved Piece of Public Art?," 9 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The property also includes a mission-style house and coach house that served as the congregation’s house of worship before the modern synagogue was constructed in 1966. — Karen Berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "B’nai Torah congregants return to shuttered synagogue in Highland Park for a final goodbye," 1 Aug. 2019 Asylum denied Central Americans facing deportation have long sought protection in houses of worship. — Mario Garcia, The Conversation, "More Central American migrants take shelter in churches, recalling 1980s sanctuary movement," 30 July 2019 But some Native Hawaiians consider the land holy, as a realm of gods and a place of worship. — USA TODAY, "Penal farm to produce farm, music under the sea: News from around our 50 states," 16 July 2019 But some Native Hawaiians consider the land holy, as a realm of gods and a place of worship. — CBS News, "Activists block road in protests over Hawaii telescope location," 15 July 2019 Houses of worship have offered their buildings as sanctuaries, and activists have volunteered to stand watch. — Author: Abigail Hauslohner, Nick Miroff, Anchorage Daily News, "Immigrant families wait in dread, but no sign of large-scale enforcement raids," 15 July 2019 And in Bridgeport and Hartford, Blumenthal announced a new bill to block immigration enforcement at sensitive sites like schools, hospitals, courthouses and places of worship. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "Connecticut immigrants, state officials bracing for threat of immigration raids," 12 July 2019 The setup might look simple, but a house of worship is a transcendental doctor’s office offering preventive care, support group therapy and a healing hope. — Ericka Andersen, WSJ, "Is God the Answer to the Suicide Epidemic?," 11 July 2019 Of course, one of the main constitutional conflicts today is whether freedom of worship guarantees the religious the right to refuse service — or a job — to a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person. — Tim Fitzsimons, NBC News, "Trump administration's new human rights commission alarms LGBTQ advocates," 10 July 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near worship

worship at the altar of

worshipful

Statistics for worship

Last Updated

4 Aug 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for worship

The first known use of worship was before the 12th century

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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

British —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