as in pious
formal
showing or having a lot of respect
a reverential attitude They spoke in reverential terms about their recently departed spiritual advisor.
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Recent Examples of reverential
The opening-week success of the younger-skewing Predator: Badlands offers hope, and though his film doesn’t quite go as agreeably haywire as Ari Aster’s Eddington, Wright is working in a similarly ambitious, contemporary-retro style that’s reverential without being the slightest bit nostalgic.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
There are also occasional flashes of Sharon Van Etten’s early 2010s albums, and producer Adam Schatz (of Landlady, who has also worked with Japanese Breakfast and Neko Case) has created a perfect setting for the songs that evokes the ’70s influences without being overly reverential.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Maggie shows reverential awe for Alma, who carries the same regard for her student whilst having a nepotistic bond with Hank.
—Essence, 15 Oct. 2025
This is a different era, one less reverential of spiritual authority.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reverential
Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025
There are also occasional flashes of Sharon Van Etten’s early 2010s albums, and producer Adam Schatz (of Landlady, who has also worked with Japanese Breakfast and Neko Case) has created a perfect setting for the songs that evokes the ’70s influences without being overly reverential.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Maggie shows reverential awe for Alma, who carries the same regard for her student whilst having a nepotistic bond with Hank.
—Essence, 15 Oct. 2025
This is a different era, one less reverential of spiritual authority.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reverential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverential
Adjective
-
In his native Paine, a quiet agricultural town just south of Santiago, some residents remember the Kast family fondly as a pious clan who built a successful meat and restaurant business.—
John Bartlett,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
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His political campaign is spinning into high gear, posting videos showing him as a pious governor holding a Bible, praying and hugging pastors.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Draft an important note, then revisit instructions, while keeping your tone respectful and firm.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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Doing so also models for your kids how to manage difficult relationships in a respectful way.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Though operational only from 2000, its regal and spiritual trappings lend a unique old-world charm to those who come here—mostly from India, the Middle East, the UK, USA, France and Russia—looking for more than massages and weight loss.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
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Honig is the newest assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, one of the largest Conservative Jewish synagogues on the North Shore and the spiritual home to roughly 1,000 families.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Styles rendition is reverent to the original, first released in 1985.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2026
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That was on display as volunteers spoke of the lighthouse’s history in hushed, reverent voices.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The executions occurred in the city of Qom, Iran, a notably religious municipality in the country, according to Reuters.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
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Despite religious and phenotypic differences, people around the western Mediterranean Sea have been interacting, trading, warring, migrating, and reproducing together for centuries.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Essentially worshipful in its view of Lee, the movie never acknowledges that one person drawing so much unbridled admiration is more than a little creepy.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
25 Dec. 2025
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But while his adoration does have an erotic edge to it (see: The Shape of Water), on the whole, his affection for the misshapen and the outcast among us is more worshipful than overtly lusty.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reverential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverential. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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