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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
Rubicon is a warning about how republics decay, and how institutional reverence alone, without cultivating a common moral framework, is not sufficient to keep a state intact. Zephyr Teachout, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025 Even as the fun wears thin, there’s a reverence to Galas that carries the day, to both Ludlam’s work and Callas herself. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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 See All Example Sentences for reverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence
Verb
  • For all their differences in background, temperament, and approaches to art, Matisse and Picasso both venerated Cézanne, Delacroix, Manet, and van Gogh.
    Christopher C. Gorham September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • In this way, such war memorials are not only about revering soldiers but also venerating the nation-state.
    Kerry Whigham, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • On April 5, 2024, the civil suit was stayed in deference of a federal criminal investigation into the human trafficking allegations Plaintiffs made.
    Naveed Jamali, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
  • In those cases, a majority of the Supreme Court showed deference to Trump's firing power, at least on an interim basis, while the litigation plays out.
    Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hermes Trismegistus was the god of the occult and magic, worshipped by the ancient Greeks in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Its followers strictly adhere to the 29 commandments of Guru Jambheshwar, which include the sacred principles of worshiping and protecting all animals.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak is hosting veneration and mass for thousands to honor its patroness Saint Therese.
    Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • He is motivated by power, vengeance, greed, and veneration.
    Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • Bernie Mac, who starred in the Ocean's trilogy as fast-talking Frank Catton and was revered as one of the funniest comic actors of the last half-century, died at 50 due to cardiac arrest just a year after Ocean's 13 premiered.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Mothers are simultaneously revered and ignored in many ways.
    Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Li described herself as having a lifelong suspicion of all forms of emotional melodrama, stemming from her experience as a child in China listening to propagandist operas, in which singers made extravagant claims of adoration and allegiance.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
  • From his many, many jobs to his love and adoration of his mother, Kirk was one of a kind.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Genuine peace requires rewriting textbooks, ending propaganda, and ceasing the glorification of violence.
    Artak Beglaryan, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The portrayal of indigenous people was riddled with stereotypes and other problematic story elements, including the glorification of suicide.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Propping up these anti-artists promotes a kind of false idolatry; undiscerning listeners read their banal backstories and watch their flashy videos and soon become active devotees.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 Oct. 2025
  • These all may be interpreted as acts of idolatry.
    Michael Isaacson, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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