reverence 1 of 2

Definition of reverencenext

reverence

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reverence differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reverence are adore, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," 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 can adore be used instead of reverence?

The words adore and reverence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When is it sensible to use revere instead of reverence?

While the synonyms revere and reverence are close in meaning, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

Where would venerate be a reasonable alternative to reverence?

In some situations, the words venerate and reverence are roughly equivalent. However, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

In what contexts can worship take the place of reverence?

The synonyms worship and reverence are sometimes interchangeable, but worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony.

worships their memory

How does the verb reverence differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reverence are adore, revere, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," 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 can adore be used instead of reverence?

The words adore and reverence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When is it sensible to use revere instead of reverence?

While the synonyms revere and reverence are close in meaning, revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

Where would venerate be a reasonable alternative to reverence?

In some situations, the words venerate and reverence are roughly equivalent. However, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

In what contexts can worship take the place of reverence?

The synonyms worship and reverence are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 reverence
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
Noun
Tsodilo there’s a palpable atmosphere of reverence. Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026 In an interview with Reuters, the former Police frontman described the opportunity with unmistakable reverence. Ryan Brennan april 14, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence
Verb
  • People were so eager to venerate his remains that skulls of his magically multiplied.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Jellicle Ball joins that lineage, inviting its audience to experience the joys of the Black and Latino ball scene while venerating its bittersweet roots.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • However, federal law requires that judges review arbitration awards with a high degree of deference and should only vacate them if there’s an extraordinary defect, such as the award was procured by fraud or the arbitrator failed to consider relevant evidence or follow basic legal principles.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • This type of deference to the executive, which relies on presidential good faith, now amounts to judicial abdication.
    Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and in 1977, the state built an obelisk on the church’s grounds to honor Benjamin Banneker, a naturalist and mathematician who reportedly worshipped at the church during the early 1800s.
    Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Takaichi notably did not worship at Yasukuni personally, instead sending her offerings through an intermediary.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Although its primary teachings refer to the Bible, the Kimbanguist Church is distinguished by its veneration of Kimbangu as the Black embodiment of the Holy Spirit.
    Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Good Friday services at the cathedral will feature scripture, music and the veneration of the cross.
    Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Though Washington is revered today, his position was extremely fragile at the time, Kesten said, gesturing at an image of a painting of von Steuben and Washington.
    Amanda Rosa Updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Last month, the 55-year-old DeCosta became known to legions of fans — especially those who revere the Raiders — for something far less flattering.
    Michael Silver, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • It's called assassination by adoration.
    Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Their adoration, combined with spending power, has created serious commercial opportunity for labels and brands that know how to tap in.
    Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • What could have been a biting portrait of the glorification of female beauty is softened by a simple happy ending—in a world where no ending can possibly be simple, whether happy or not.
    Sarah Chihaya, New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2026
  • What’s troubling is the gradual and persistent normalization of eating disorder culture, which includes the glorification of one specific body type to the exclusion and detriment of others.
    Michelle Konstantinovsky, Glamour, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The early colonists were very much anti-idol worshippers and even modern Catholics, as Vice President Vance surely knows, have long been criticized by their Protestant counterparts for a love of statuary, reliquaries and other iconography that some have argued fall into idolatry.
    Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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