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 The day after it was revealed that WME was shopping the rights to Jason Bourne and titles from the Robert Ludlum estate comes word that the rights to venerated horror franchise The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are also available. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025 Just like with their cold-weather ensembles, their medley of scarce and candid paparazzi shots are stored, saved, and venerated to curate a well-rounded wardrobe. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025 Detractors who bemoan the 40th president’s continued relevance to the Republican Party ignore the fact that venerating past presidents is a long-standing Democratic Party tradition. W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025 Also, a subculture referred to as Saints Culture, which venerates mass killers as almost superhuman figures, frames high-casualty attacks as the ultimate and only legacy worth emulating. Odette Yousef, NPR, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for venerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venerate
Verb
  • Greeks, Jews, Romans — rich and poor — all worshipped together in homes and built close relationships with one another.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
  • His father worshipped guitarists from the Delta and even wanted to name his son after the Mississippian Albert King but was outvoted by his wife, who named him after Beethoven.
    Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dolphins are one of the smartest animals on Earth and have been revered for thousands of years for their intelligence, emotions and social interaction with humans.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Encouraging indicators The arcane but revered Zweig breadth thrust triggered Thursday, a clustering of extreme positive breadth days that arise after oversold conditions.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Saint Heron remains dedicated to empowering future art practitioners by reverencing the spiritual act of creating and spotlighting artists’ unwavering devotion to the intergenerational language of expression.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 16 June 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Venerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venerate. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on venerate

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