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reverence

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reverence differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reverence are adore, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," 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 can adore be used instead of reverence?

The words adore and reverence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When is it sensible to use revere instead of reverence?

While the synonyms revere and reverence are close in meaning, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

Where would venerate be a reasonable alternative to reverence?

In some situations, the words venerate and reverence are roughly equivalent. However, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

In what contexts can worship take the place of reverence?

The synonyms worship and reverence are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 reverence
Verb
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 Saint Heron remains dedicated to empowering future art practitioners by reverencing the spiritual act of creating and spotlighting artists’ unwavering devotion to the intergenerational language of expression. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 June 2023
Noun
In my company, for example, our culture has grown to be one of emotional intelligence, psychological safety and the adherence and reverence of the sentiment that humanity is the best strategy for doing business. Edward Deangelis, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Soca even got a similar reverence later that same year. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence
Verb
  • From union leaders to foreign students There are some striking parallels between the throttling of civil liberties during the Cold War and President Donald Trump’s crusade against foreign students exercising venerated democratic freedoms.
    Rick Baldoz, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Managing ego doesn’t mean failing to acknowledge rising generations of performers who, nearly to a woman, openly venerate her for helping to pave their way.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Georgetown Law School Professor David Super also questioned the amount of deference that Haines gave the administration, including on the questions of whether Tren de Aragua is invading the U.S. and whether the Venezuelan government is responsible.
    Joe Walsh May 15, CBS News, 15 May 2025
  • Atlantis Paradise Island, where Jaisingh was staying, declined to offer further comment in deference to his family.
    Sam Gillette, People.com, 13 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
Noun
  • But in Kyiv, my Ukrainian aunt Vita immediately thought of Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Advertisement The Russian President has long made the veneration of World War II the central tenet of Russia’s national idea.
    Sasha Vasilyuk, Time, 8 May 2025
  • To the modern secular mind, the veneration of relics suggests a fetishistic obsession with death.
    Emily Harnett, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The founder's namesake brand's latest creation has an invisible finish (as someone with melanin-rich skin, this was of the utmost importance to the founder) and goes beyond protecting skin thanks to Kashmiri saffron, a Ayurvedic ingredient revered for its ability to repair the look of dark spots.
    Jackie Fields, People.com, 1 May 2025
  • Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Matilda Hotel Matilda In a town revered for its colonial charm and baroque splendor, Hotel Matilda dares to be different.
    Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Naturally, Hamlin has also taught her mom a thing or two about makeup (mainly an adoration for the Greige Lip Pencil, $25).
    Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 7 May 2025
  • Davidson openly admits his adoration for Axe, leaning into these more sophisticated scents for everyday use, and soliciting advice to the next generation on how to build confidence while upgrading any younger guy's aesthetic.
    Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • His assessment is based not on the slack-jawed idolatry of elite-media toadies, but on sources nobody else thought to ring up and poke.
    Harpers Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Unlike most contemporary acts subject to mass idolatry, Wolf Alice’s online presence (which, historically, has been minimal) has never been part of the appeal.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 1 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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