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

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 venerate Williams, the branch’s president and venerated statewide civil rights and social justice champion, would lead the volunteer effort. Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025 An image of Mary – La Virgen de la Puerta – now housed in a shrine church, has been venerated and revered in the community for over 300 years. Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch, The Conversation, 29 May 2025 No ancient European cathedral is complete without its holy relics, which are venerated by the faithful as sacred artifacts from various saints and the life of Jesus. Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 21 May 2025 The same gospel, venerated with incense, will now be chanted in Greek. Nbc News, NBC news, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for venerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venerate
Verb
  • The soccer star in question, of course, was a certain Lionel Andrés Messi, for whom the masses had made their pilgrimage to worship, as his Inter Miami took on Portuguese giant FC Porto in the second matchday of Group A.
    Glen Levy, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
  • The group argued that allowing Oak Flat, a place where the Apache have worshiped for generations, to be destroyed would have significant religious freedom implications.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Internationally aspirational with a presence in all the major markets, the house is revered for both its great value cuvées, and its prestigious Blanc de Blancs ‘Comtes de Champagne’ - one of the world’s best sparkling wines.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France -- but above all, unavoidable.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 June 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

“Venerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on venerate

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