worship 1 of 2

Definition of worshipnext

worship

2 of 2

verb

1
2
3

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
Lemon was charged with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. Selina Guevara, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026 The Justice Department has charged Lemon and eight others in the case with conspiracy against rights and with injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
Frail elderly women, swathed in headscarves and saris, worshipped while sitting on puddled pavement near corroded metal changing lockers plastered with ads for Glow & Lovely skin cream. Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026 The Chapel of the Holy Cross draws tourists and pilgrims who come to worship in this one-of-a-kind building atop a natural rock formation in the Coconino National Forest. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worship
Noun
  • The retreat will include interactive talks, personal time for couples’ reflection and discussion, a continental breakfast and catered lunch, and adoration with a special blessing for the couples.
    Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • My list is filled with personal adoration for each of these plants.
    Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Seahorses are already venerated for having the unusual reproductive trait of the males being the ones that get pregnant.
    K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Since becoming a global celebrity in the mid-’90s, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has become venerated for her restrained, aloof glamour.
    Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Gap CashSoft Oversized Chunky Cardigan My daughters also loved this soft, chunky cardigan from Gap, available in multiple colors.
    Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 13 Feb. 2026
  • This administration loves its American flag, perhaps unlike any other before it.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Sweet alyssum has clusters of flowers with a honey fragrance, and pollinators adore it.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Reluctant to leave him alone, Henry insists Bill come to stay with him and his wife Pat (Katie McGrath), giving him time also with his adoring niece Debby (Tallulah Cavanaugh).
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Some might be inclined to label Lee as an early cult leader, with her extreme views on sexuality, somatic-style worshipping rituals rooted in dance and song as well as her desire to build a self-sufficient, utopian community outside of mainstream society.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 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
  • Feltner likes the direction the Rockies are headed under a new front office and pitching staff as camp opens.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Minnesota goodbye College hockey coaches generally don’t like to see their players leave school early for the professional ranks.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • As a cipher, the Discobolus can either represent Pollak’s humanistic ethos of a cosmopolitan society or the idolatries of Hitler’s blood-and-soil fascism.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
  • But the Turkish big man is also representative of a more meaningful trend, which was on display again this week, even before the Nuggets visited Houston — a recent proliferation of Jokic idolatry throughout the sport.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worship. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on worship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!