worship

verb

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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

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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 Students no longer cross the threshold to pray, worship or get married. — Freep.com, "Support quality local journalism like this by becoming a subscriber.," 12 Feb. 2021 Leaders of some Minnesota churches have similar, if not exact, ideologies, including many of those who sued Gov. Tim Walz for imposing COVID-19 mask and worship mandates, such as Calvary Chapel and Cornerstone Church. — Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune, "Capitol siege puts spotlight on Christian nationalists," 6 Feb. 2021 Officials asked that people worship at outdoor services or via a streaming service. — Fox News, "L.A. County health officials: Don’t attend indoor church services no matter what judge says," 25 Dec. 2020 Horizon Christian Fellowship will hold outdoor Christmas Eve worship services at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Dec. 24 at 6365 El Apajo Road. — Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Christmas services across North County 2020," 18 Dec. 2020 This year’s acrimonious campaign exacerbated those tensions, as did debates over how to worship during the pandemic and respond to protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in police custody. — WSJ, "Abortion, Guns and Trump: A Church Group Tries to Navigate America’s Divisions," 18 Dec. 2020 The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a Nevada church protesting Gov. Steve Sisolak's coronavirus worship restrictions. — Nicholas Rowan, Washington Examiner, "Supreme Court rejects Nevada church protesting coronavirus worship restrictions," 25 Jan. 2021 Some Trump followers also are influenced by QAnon, a tangle of conspiracy theories mixing allegations of pedophilia, Democrats and Satan worship. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "How conservative media stoked baseless election-fraud claims that motivated D.C. rioters," 12 Jan. 2021 While one church’s members worship from cars outside, Kenneth Copeland hosts thousands in an arena. — Dave Lieber, Dallas News, "From a near riot to the biggest hack of Texans’ information, 2020 was filled with wins and losses," 24 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Targeting civilian facilities including hospitals, bakeries and places of worship has been a recurring Russian and Syrian government tactic in the civil war. — Sebastien Roblin, Forbes, "Moscow Assures World Its Iskander Missile Can Precisely Hit A Hospital," 1 Mar. 2021 At that level, most businesses including indoor operations of restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, bars and breweries, family entertainment centers and places of worship can open at 50% capacity. — Kellie Hwang, San Francisco Chronicle, "San Francisco is poised to move to the red tier. Here's what it'll take to get to orange," 1 Mar. 2021 Before the pandemic, visitors usually gathered around the couple for pictures at the end of worship. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, "RoboCop, Jimmy Carter, Amtrak: News from around our 50 states," 26 Feb. 2021 Although most restrictions have long since been lifted on houses of worship, Williams isn’t taking chances with his flock until there are mass vaccinations. — Amanda Milkovits, BostonGlobe.com, "Bishop Jeffery Williams: ‘I preach better is coming eventually’," 25 Feb. 2021 In a proclamation Wednesday, Bowser declared the day a citywide day of remembrance and urged houses of worship to honor the memory of residents who had died. — Washington Post, "Pandemic’s death toll in D.C. surpasses 1,000 as mayor marks ‘tragic milestone’," 24 Feb. 2021 Houses of worship can open indoors at 25% capacity. — Los Angeles Times, "What the road map for reopening California after COVID-19 surge looks like," 24 Feb. 2021 Religion News Service reported this week that a handful of undocumented immigrants have left sanctuary in places of worship in recent days, including a Mexican native who had been living in an Ohio Mennonite church for more than three years. — Sara Tabin, The Salt Lake Tribune, "‘Now we can go to Disneyland’ — Biden’s election may let mom and her daughters leave the Utah church they’ve been in for three years," 20 Feb. 2021 The church is believed to be the last remaining building from the settlement and is still a place of worship for descendants of the original settlers. — Cassie Armstrong, orlandosentinel.com, "Explore Central Florida’s Black history," 19 Feb. 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

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Dictionary Entries near worship

worship at the altar of

worshipful

Statistics for worship

Last Updated

3 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worship. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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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