Synonym Chooser

How does the verb venerate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of venerate are adore, reverence, revere, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

Where would adore be a reasonable alternative to venerate?

The synonyms adore and venerate are sometimes interchangeable, but adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When can revere be used instead of venerate?

While in some cases nearly identical to venerate, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When is reverence a more appropriate choice than venerate?

Although the words reverence and venerate have much in common, 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

In what contexts can worship take the place of venerate?

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

worships their memory

Examples of venerate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The classical education that conservatives venerate and claim to safeguard only became possible because of academic freedom that limited outside interference and reprisal in far more restrictive societies. Bradford Vivian / Made By History, TIME, 16 Aug. 2024 This course starts with the doctrinal story of the Buddha’s life, from his early years as Prince Siddhartha Gautama to his transformation into the famed ascetic and spiritual teacher venerated during his lifetime across what is today northern India and Nepal. Mitch Hendrickson, The Conversation, 29 July 2024 The characters live in a hypermasculine environment that venerates bravado, toughness, and aggression. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2024 Du Bois is rightly still venerated for his work on civil rights. Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022 See all Example Sentences for venerate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'venerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near venerate

Cite this Entry

“Venerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerate. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on venerate

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