venerate

verb

ˈve-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce venerate (audio)
Definition of veneratenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Firing the Fed chair or forcing out a governor would threaten the Fed’s venerated independence, which has long been supported by most economists and Wall Street investors. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025 This should matter to folks on the left and the right, to those who venerate higher education and those who vote in favor of states’ rights against federal overreach. —Giuliana Perrone, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025 The deepest malice for mankind causes one to venerate Hitler. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025 The church has received visitors and pilgrims for decades who venerate the saint's faith. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for venerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venerate
  1. worship
  2. revere
  3. reverence
Verb
  • But something timely right now is the parasocial relationship with celebrity and the difference between supporting somebody and worshiping somebody.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
  • To a kid who worshipped the gods of comedy, Martin was the biggest of them all.
    — Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of worship
Verb
  • Because Anderson is known, and revered, for making Important Movies with Serious Themes (There Will Be Blood, The Master), those who consider themselves serious film people greet each new arrival as an Important Event.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In other words, Green Seal isn’t being pitched as a drink to revere so much as one to bring along wherever energy and music set the tone.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of revere
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
Definition of reverence

Browse Nearby Words

venerably
venerate
venerated
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Cite this Entry

“Venerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerate. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of venerate for Spanish Speakers

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