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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb adore differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of adore are reverence, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When could revere be used to replace adore?

The words revere and adore can be used in similar contexts, but revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When can reverence be used instead of adore?

While in some cases nearly identical to adore, 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

When would venerate be a good substitute for adore?

The meanings of venerate and adore largely overlap; however, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When is worship a more appropriate choice than adore?

In some situations, the words worship and adore are roughly equivalent. However, worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of adore And people adore the unique artwork—so much so that Van Wolfwinkle's drawings, which began as a joke, have gone on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Thousands of troops from multiple branches of the military rehearsed for weeks under the adoring eyes and feverish applause from the local people. Nga Pham, NPR, 30 Apr. 2025 Now, McTominay is in a team built around him and in a city that adores him. Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 But by the end of the first episode, viewers learn the truth when Matty returns home to a gorgeous mansion and the arms of Edwin, her adoring husband of nearly 50 years. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for adore
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adore
Verb
  • The anti-book club, book club: Why people are loving silent reading events Need a new book?
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • For texture, Drew loves working with plaster and lime wash to create that softness.
    Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • No one is required to pay any admission fee to worship with us.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
  • The painting was found on one of the house's walls, though archaeologists do not believe that the inhabitants worshiped Greek gods.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • If a woman is to be venerated, she must first be unsexed, her look made blank.
    Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 2025
  • Founded in 1938 by saxophonist Henry Minton, this remnant of old Harlem has since been restored into a vibrant destination spot for upscale dining and ample space to witness some of NYC’s rising and venerated jazz voices.
    Shannon J. Effinger, AFAR Media, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Panthers won’t enjoy a week off until their Week 14 bye in December.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2025
  • Guests can enjoy performances by DJ Quicksilva, DJ Flow, DJ P Drama, DJ Supream, and The Bearded Drummer while taking in the races from a luxury vantage point.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Celestial Park is an original concept world, which Universal likes to say puts the park back into theme park.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • According to Lesperance, most people don't like to move, abandoning their familiar life for one that is widely unknown.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Nightingales, or Bulbuls, are revered in Persian culture where their song represents a spiritual seeker looking for union with the divine.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
  • For my entire lifetime and then some, Dolly has been loved, revived, and revered.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Buy Now Of Course Listening to an Audiobook 'Counts' as Reading — and Why the Debate Just Distracts Us From What Matters 08 of 08 'Fake Skating' by Lynn Painter Dani couldn't help idolizing her mom's best friend's son Alec growing up.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • In Ellis’ novel, Patrick Bateman also idolizes Donald Trump, who is currently serving his second term as the U.S. president.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But Pi is precociously enlightened, his innocence not a problem to be rectified but a quality to be reverenced.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
  • But Trump also reverenced the tough job Emmer has in keeping the GOP majority together, with which Emmer is all too familiar after the chaotic last two years.
    Emily Brooks, The Hill, 3 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Adore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adore. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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