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 reverence 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 & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about worship

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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

In ancient Greece, the intersex goddess Cybele was worshipped by trans priests. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Transgender Women Are Women. Transgender Men Are Men.," 23 Oct. 2018 Ryan Gosling is no stranger to being worshipped on the Internet, but his surprise appearance at a Toronto coffee shop earlier this week, after a fervent Twitter campaign, proved to be a major event for all involved. — Janine Puhak, Fox News, "Ryan Gosling visits Toronto coffee shop after Twitter crusade," 13 Sep. 2018 Men make the same declaration later and they are literally worshipped as saints. — John Blake, CNN, "How Easter became a #MeToo moment," 30 Mar. 2018 This has been good news for Irving Parkers, who evidently had been dreaming of worshiping in this space for quite some time. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "Irving Park’s Eris is a space of supermortal dimensions," 22 Mar. 2018 What an affirmation of the dignity of worshiping communities. — Elizabeth L. Greene, idahostatesman, "Religious freedom edict from centuries ago resonate today | Idaho Statesman," 24 Feb. 2018 The salute was the equivalent of worshipping a false god. — Lillian Cunningham, Washington Post, "Episode 16 of the Constitutional podcast: ‘The First Amendment’," 29 Jan. 2018 While Powell worshipped at a different altar, his work, not himself, remained the center of his life. — Johnforristerross, Longreads, "Taming the Great American Desert," 2 July 2018 This staging’s Grail appears to be a kind of fountain of youth, grotesquely elongating the lives of the men who worship it for that reason. — Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, "Review: A Conductor Sets Munich’s Ashen ‘Parsifal’ Aflame," 1 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Taxing houses of worship is deeply un-American—no matter how large or small the tax burden. — Russell Moore, WSJ, "Stop the Tax on Houses of Worship," 22 Nov. 2018 With the victims' own place of worship still a crime scene, mourners gathered at another synagogue, a Jewish community center and a third, undisclosed site. — Allen G. Breed, The Seattle Times, "Pittsburgh begins burying its dead as Trump faces protesters," 30 Oct. 2018 While some sat in ununiform rows and others stood by in clusters, the space only subtly resembled a place of worship. — Andrew Bevan, Vogue, "Erin Wasson and Barth Tassy Combined Their Texas and French Riviera Roots With a “Ranch Tropez” Wedding in Austin," 14 Aug. 2018 Instead, this darker, bloodier version of Sabrina Spellman’s antics introduces a world in which the misconception that witchcraft, paganism, and Wiccan rituals are about devil worship is indulged to create a brewing battle for ultimate control. — Kelsea Stahler, Teen Vogue, "The Resurgence of Witches in Pop Culture Like Sabrina, AHS "Coven," and "Charmed" Reflects Women in the Real World," 14 Nov. 2018 Ketterer is a pediatric mental health care nurse and part-time worship leader with six children, five of whom were adopted from foster care. — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, "‘America’s Got Talent’ Standout Michael Ketterer Has Been Arrested for Domestic Violence," 21 Sep. 2018 Crossing Jordan is a contemporary/rock/worship band from Long Island. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 19 June 2018 Per the Post, the advertisement will read in part: For years now, citizens of the United States have endured mass shootings in public venues, neighborhoods and communities, houses of worship, colleges and universities, and our schools. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Barron Trump’s School "Urges" the President to Enact Gun Control," 20 Mar. 2018 While Lee embraced his status as a creative god among comics fans, appearing at conventions and in constant cameos in Marvel's films, Ditko was a recluse who won the worship of the most hardcore comic-book geeks. — NBC News, "Steve Ditko, Spider-Man co-creator, dies at age 90," 7 July 2018

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

24 Nov 2018

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Time Traveler for worship

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

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More Definitions for worship

worship

noun

English Language Learners Definition of worship

(Entry 1 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

worship

verb

English Language Learners Definition of worship (Entry 2 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

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

worship

noun

wor·ship | \ˈwər-shəp