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)

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

This also isn’t a tale about how my 8-year-old daughter hates shopping, worships her father, and wants to live overseas one day, or how my 10-year-old sons always want to be with me, even though that’s all true as well. — Jackie Goldschneider, Good Housekeeping, "I Cried When I Found Out I Was Having Boys," 5 Apr. 2019 An altar constructed from C-ration and empty ammunition boxes allowed American soldiers so many miles from home the opportunity to worship. — Tracy Maness, Houston Chronicle, "Marine killed in Vietnam walked in faith, service," 21 May 2018 The early idea of a formless God, nirguna Brahman, gave way to the recognition that people needed something less abstract to worship. — Shashi Tharoor, WSJ, "How Hinduism Has Persisted for 4,000 Years," 17 Jan. 2019 During that time, Jerusalem was under the control of a Persian king from the Seleucid dynasty, who pressured his subjects to universally worship the Greek pantheon. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "Why Hanukkah’s message of Jewish resilience matters so much after Pittsburgh," 29 Nov. 2018 That will likely only happen after the Vatican obtains further assurances about the rights of Chinese Catholics to worship unimpeded, observers say. — Christopher Bodeen, Fox News, "Vatican agreement with China draws concerns amid crackdown," 28 Sep. 2018 In that iconic supernatural horror flick, tannis root was used by the people in the Satan-worshipping cult. — Hanna Lustig, Teen Vogue, "The Best "Riverdale" Season 3 Fan Theories, According to Reddit," 1 Oct. 2018 Others point out that Ginsburg is hardly the first justice to be hero-worshipped – just the first woman to achieve that status. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "For women in law, 'RBG' is their superhero movie," 15 May 2018 During the now-legendary Zoo TV Tour, Bono played several oddball characters designed to lampoon a celebrity-worshipping culture. — Scott Meslow, GQ, "How to Become a U2 Fan," 11 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The order of worship generally reflects the practices of each denomination but the theme of joyful celebration is consistent across all the services. — Morin Bishop, Woman's Day, "What’s an Easter Sunrise Service? Here's Everything You Need to Know," 22 Mar. 2019 Women are fighting because the old forms of power are harmful and abusive to us, to our families, to our workplaces, to our houses of worship, to our democracy, and to our planet. — Alicia Garza, Marie Claire, "Alicia Garza: Women Are the New Face of Power," 21 Mar. 2019 No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Made a Surprise Appearance to Honor New Zealand Survivors," 19 Mar. 2019 White women, your courage is needed now—whether that means sitting down with your family, speaking up at your place of worship, or canvassing your neighborhood. — Zoey Grossman; Fashion Editor: Cassie Anderson, Harper's BAZAAR, "Uzo Aduba, Katie Holmes & Ieshia Evans Reenact Iconic Images of Social Change," 20 Nov. 2018 Both men insisted on meeting in a non-descript guesthouse, rather than the official Ahmadi house of worship, a fortress-like building surrounded by high walls and guarded around the clock. — Fox News, "Pakistan's Ahmadis fearful as leaders bow to extremists," 28 Sep. 2018 The sound of the church service, the building wail of worship, your mom speaking in tongues on the crest of that weekly Sunday wave. — Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, "The State," 14 Mar. 2018 No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry Respond to the Tragic Shootings in New Zealand," 15 Mar. 2019 No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Royal Family Sends Condolences to the Families and Victims of the New Zealand Shootings," 15 Mar. 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

14 Apr 2019

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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

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