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

Exquisite dribblers such as Olise need protecting and venerating. —James Horncastle, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026

Dozens of firearms also were recovered, including handguns with images of Santa Muerte (a Mexican folk saint venerated by drug dealers) and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. —Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026

In ancient Greece certain mortals who had achieved kleos (glory or fame) in life were venerated in death. —Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026

His mother, Sonia Sorel, was an actress and artist, and his father, John Carradine, was a prolific and venerated character actor. —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026

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