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worship

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verb

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb worship differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of worship are adore, reverence, revere, and venerate. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

In what contexts can adore take the place of worship?

The synonyms adore and worship 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 worship?

In some situations, the words revere and worship are roughly equivalent. However, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

When could reverence be used to replace worship?

The words reverence and worship can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is venerate a more appropriate choice than worship?

While the synonyms venerate and worship are close in meaning, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

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 worship
Noun
In California, a worship minister went to prison for molesting boys. Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025 And the city is working on more public-private partnerships via its Faith in Housing program, which helps places of worship build housing. Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Sanskrit speakers worshipped Dyaus Pitr, or Sky Father. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Farmers exercised a right, a rare sight However, this display, engineered by farmers, suggests a departure from the control elite priests had over the right to worship and build centers for astronomical observation and ritual. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worship
Noun
  • Soon, the teens’ adoration for each other is at risk of becoming a nightmare.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Candyman, the Candyman franchise (1992–1999; 2021) Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) finds out that adoration and horror don't mix when she is faced with the attachment of the sinister Candyman (Tony Todd) in the 1992 film classic.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Musical theater loves a go-getter, and halfhearted irony just can’t stand up to this much zazz.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • And petite travelers like myself will love that these are no-hemming-required, thanks to their 7/8 length that ends in a cheeky kick flare right below the calf.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The show chugged along nonetheless, gradually attracting fans who adored its stark cinematography and weirdo colloquialisms.
    Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
  • At 48 percent off, the traveler-adored Matein Travel Laptop Backpack is an excellent, sensible gift that can function as both a personal item and an everyday sightseeing tote.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Destroy this death worshipping, terroristic cult.
    Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Hank Hill — stiff, sincere, propane-worshipping — wasn’t a joke.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Written with the intimacy of a conversation among loved ones, Someday, Now invites readers to sit with loss while still reverencing the beauty of life, parenting, and letting our children flourish.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • And when diners nearby half-turned their heads to check if the foreigner liked it, Chen saw my expression of delight.
    Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Did all the Luki members immediately like the idea of a film about or what was their reaction?
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • In the Bible, Egypt occupies a central place, mentioned repeatedly as a land of refuge – notably for Joseph – but also as a nation of idolatry and as the cradle of slavery.
    Charles Vanthournout, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Propping up these anti-artists promotes a kind of false idolatry; undiscerning listeners read their banal backstories and watch their flashy videos and soon become active devotees.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worship. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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