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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
Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Recent attacks on houses of worship have put security issues back in the spotlight. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
The search for more potential victims of a mass shooting at a Michigan church continued into Monday, after a gunman killed at least four people while hundreds were worshiping on Sunday morning. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025 But this is no case study in the evils of devil-worshipping musicians. Judy Berman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worship
Verb
  • For all their differences in background, temperament, and approaches to art, Matisse and Picasso both venerated Cézanne, Delacroix, Manet, and van Gogh.
    Christopher C. Gorham September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • In this way, such war memorials are not only about revering soldiers but also venerating the nation-state.
    Kerry Whigham, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just the belief, again, these guys love playing football together.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
  • However, there's one dark color that designer Heather Kirk of Kirk Riley Design particularly loves using on kitchen cabinets, and that's a rich green.
    Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One parent tester of a 10 month old adored everything about this simple, but special toy.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Laufey was standing in front of a packed crowd of some 12,000 adoring fans at Oakland Arena.
    Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Gladys Knight struggles but met with adoration The adoring audience didn't need an opening hype video to recognize how special this single-show lineup was - but admittedly Knight, 81, was having a harder night.
    Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Thousands stomped in the bleachers, creating rumbling waves of adoration.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 22 Sep. 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
Verb
  • Others didn't like the new vampire elements, like sparkly skin.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • There are no trailers on the Taylor Swift YouTube channel and there are only stills posted on Instagram with over 20M likes from 282M followers.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 4 Oct. 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
  • At once revered and a little feared, AI is the industry’s shiny new toy and buzzword.
    Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
  • As a schoolgirl, Muriel was revered by staff and pupils alike.
    Frances Wilson September 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worship. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on worship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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