Synonyms of venerate

venerate

verb

ˈve-nə-ˌrāt 

as in to worship

to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power

a proper setting in which to venerate God

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worship
• revere
• reverence
• honor
• admire
• adore
• respect
• praise
• deify
• glorify
• love
• regard
• extol
• please
• dignify
• exalt
• lionize
• laud
• canonize
• gratify
• apotheosize
• satisfy
• magnify
• delight

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• violate
• desecrate
• blaspheme
• insult
• ridicule
• scorn
• offend
• profane
• dishonor
• outrage
• slight
• disparage
• displease
• disrespect
• affront
• libel
• smear
• slander
• defame
• pique
• malign
• slur

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

Recent Examples of venerate

And, online, there has been a never-ending stream of posts venerating Kirk as a martyr who died defending white Christian values. —Ryan Broderick, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025

Yoji shared that venerated director Akira Kurosawa always said that the camera should never be on stage when shooting a kabuki performance, nor move around to get close to the actors. —Sara Merican, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025

This is something new in the techno-sphere that for the longest time elevated and venerated the founder/CEO as superstar. —Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025

That venerated show would mark the first collaboration between Richard Rodgers, formerly Hart's longtime musical partner, and Oscar Hammerstein II. —Esther Zuckerman, Time, 17 Oct. 2025

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