worship 1 of 2

Definition of worshipnext

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

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
Some houses of worship helped congregants cover fees for the class. Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026 By 1996, every band with a guitar felt the pressure to crank its amps as loud as possible, and even indie pop fans heard the clean jangle of prior years give way to the distorted crunch and Psychocandy worship of bands like Black Tambourine and Henry’s Dress. David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Set inside a suspiciously anachronistic Dallas-area shopping mall, this recent SXSW premiere follows a quartet of young women working and worshipping at Free Eden. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026 Every day during the cold lunar month of January-February, 100 to 200 Hindu women, dressed all in red, carry out a ritual that requires them to bathe in the local river, eat only one meal per day, remain singularly focused and worship the Hindu god Shiva at midday. Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worship
Noun
  • The two bonded over Crane’s adoration of the 1930s fictional detective Nero Wolfe and the formative subject of their fathers.
    Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
  • But the highlight of the ceremony is the adoration of the cross, which in many cases is held up near the altar as the faithful line up to kiss it or touch it in reverence.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • There, at the present-day Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a bishop held up the cross for several hours as the faithful venerated it.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Redemptive suffering Shared sorrow is a key part of Iran’s Twelver Shiite identity, which venerates the Prophet Muhammad’s family through daughter Fatima and cousin and son-in-law, Ali.
    Mary Thurlkill, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Breakfast Ride and Cowboy Cookout are two unique dining experiences the whole family will love, and adult guests will appreciate the new spa planned for late 2027.
    Julie Bielenberg, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The teen is also a big Harry Potter fan and would love to settle in for a movie marathon.
    The Star April 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The StyleCaster team aboslutely adores Quince’s wide array of offerings.
    Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Or Father John Misty, who will headline there for adoring fans on Sunday evening.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • By the nail holes above and beside the worshiping altar, the household hung garlands.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Afternoons are made for fresh piña coladas, languid sun worshipping, and offshore adventures on motorboats fully stocked with snorkels, fins, and local beer.
    Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
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
  • So there was plenty to like about the Royals’ third straight victory after an 0-2 start … even after the bullpen melted down an 11-run lead to four in the final innings.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Hana liked it enough to take some home, which in the Test Kitchen is a ringing endorsement!
    Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Leo used his homily at Mass in the Monaco stadium to do just that, urging the faithful to reject the type of idolatry that has enslaved people in cycles of war and injustice.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
  • As Venus and Neptune align, beware of conflating love and idolatry!
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worship. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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