worship

verb
wor·​ship | \ ˈwər-shəp How to pronounce worship (audio) 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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Other Words from worship

Verb

worshipper or less commonly worshiper noun

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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In a supplement to the First Presidency letter posted Friday, the Utah Area Presidency wrote that in-person Sunday worship services should be held every week and each gathering could include up to 150 people. The Salt Lake Tribune, "Latter-day Saint leaders make ‘temporary’ changes to meetings because of Utah’s mask mandate," 12 Nov. 2020 Of the Back of the Yards grouping, Holy Cross and St. Joseph will be Sunday worship centers. Kelli Smith, chicagotribune.com, "Archdiocese of Chicago to consolidate 6 parishes into 2 new ones as part of massive restructuring initiative," 10 Nov. 2020 My concern extends to those who blindly worship Trump much as the uninformed masses and the military do in totalitarian countries. Debra Hale-shelton, Arkansas Online, "OPINION | DEBRA HALE-SHELTON: A democracy on the edge," 15 Nov. 2020 Hammond is a Grammy Award winning artist in the gospel circles for more than 35 years, who peers credit as creating the urban praise and worship genre that didn’t exist in gospel music, according to his official bio. Darren A. Nichols, Detroit Free Press, "Gospel legend and Detroit native Fred Hammond diagnosed with COVID-19," 14 Nov. 2020 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday criticized his colleagues' decision not to consider two lawsuits in which churches fought state coronavirus worship restrictions. Nicholas Rowan, Washington Examiner, "Justice Samuel Alito rips Supreme Court for not considering church coronavirus lawsuits," 12 Nov. 2020 The church provides masks and hand sanitizer outside the entrances and cleans worship spaces, a church member said, but no one’s temperature is taken and people are not screened for symptoms. Los Angeles Times, "L.A. megachurch pastor mocks pandemic health orders, even as church members fall ill," 8 Nov. 2020 Those who worship once a month went for Trump over Biden 54% to 45%. The Salt Lake Tribune, "Exit polls show few changes in the religious vote," 6 Nov. 2020 The church’s worship music label Bethel Music brought in $12 million in revenue in 2017, and its Bethel Media raked in more than $4 million, according to tax returns. Los Angeles Times, "God, masks and Trump: What a coronavirus outbreak at a California church says about the election," 1 Nov. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The judge in that case blocked the state from enforcing the stricter rules on houses of worship. Shira Hanau, sun-sentinel.com, "Supreme Court strikes down New York’s COVID restrictions on synagogues," 2 Dec. 2020 Some slept on the road or in their tractors, and several places of worship offered protesters food. Julia Hollingsworth, Swati Gupta And Esha Mitra, CNN, "Tens of thousands of farmers swarm India's capital to protest deregulation rules," 1 Dec. 2020 There may also be some smaller independent organizations near you, often run by religious organizations or houses of worship. Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "9 Ways to Help People Facing Hunger in Your Community," 1 Dec. 2020 The only additional recent restrictions are businesses licensed to sell alcohol must now close at 11 p.m. and places of worship must require congregants to wear face masks, including while singing. Nyssa Kruse, Arkansas Online, "New coronavirus records + Thanksgiving impact, explained," 1 Dec. 2020 In the Bay Area, San Francisco and San Mateo counties were moved to the most restrictive tier of the state’s reopening plan this weekend, which now forces them to close indoor operations of restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and houses of worship. Amina Khan Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Coronavirus Today: Building vaccine trust," 30 Nov. 2020 In orange zones even nonessential businesses had a lot more flexibility than houses of worship. Cass R. Sunstein Bloomberg Opinion (tns), Star Tribune, "Don't read too much into worship ruling," 30 Nov. 2020 Within these areas, different types of establishments are treated differently, with houses of worship facing some of the strictest rules. The Editors, National Review, "The Supreme Court Got Church Restrictions Right," 29 Nov. 2020 The city quickly sprouted new mystery cults, practiced new forms of worship, and even created whole new gods from the melting pot of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian influences. Addison Nugent, Popular Mechanics, "Why Heron's Aeolipile Is One of History's Greatest Forgotten Machines," 29 Nov. 2020

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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First Known Use of worship

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

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

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Time Traveler for worship

Time Traveler

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

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Statistics for worship

Last Updated

3 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worship. Accessed 12 Dec. 2020.

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More Definitions for worship

worship

verb
How to pronounce worship (audio)

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

worship

noun
wor·​ship | \ ˈwər-shəp How to pronounce worship (audio) \

Kids Definition of worship

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : deep respect toward God, a god, or a sacred object
2 : too much respect or admiration

worship

verb
worshipped also worshiped; worshipping also worshiping

Kids Definition of worship (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to honor or respect as a divine being
2 : to regard with respect, honor, or devotion She worships her son.
3 : to take part in worship or an act of worship

Other Words from worship

worshipper or worshiper noun

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Comments on worship

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