REVERENCE Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

reverence 1 of 2

verb

ˈrev-rən(t)s

Definition of reverence

as in to venerate

to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power devotees coming to reverence their god

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reverence

2 of 2

noun

as in deference

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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

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

Noun

Life that doesn’t just accept its sentence, but embraces it in joyful reverence? — Gabi Abrão, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 One of the names in the mix was Esmé Creed-Miles, who might not have come into the audition process with a deep Austen reverence, but who had something even better going for her. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence

Verb

Reed, venerated for his solo artistry and collaborations with the Velvet Underground, is a quintessential New York City artist of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
The kids who venerate McQueen as a fashion figurehead these days, after all, are likely to be found at the Cyberdog, just like McGirr once was.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of venerate

Noun

But Ditelberg said a court could conclude that requiring an account to retain individual shares is still an investment decision — an argument that may carry more weight after the Supreme Court's overturning of Chevron deference.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
All that requisite lightness and deference when there was nothing light or deferential about her.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of deference

Verb

Its magical forest is filled with talking animals, tree-worshipping mystics, scheming functionaries, and the Dowager Governess (Carey Mulligan), an enchantress who commands an army of uniformed coyotes.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
The long history of prejudice As religious studies scholar Michael Altman argues, the charge that Hindus worship false gods and idols took hold in American national culture nearly two centuries ago.

— Arun Brahmbhatt, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of worship

Noun

Self, who was born in Harlem in 1990 and lives and works in New York, described her as being representative of the city’s spirit, rather than as a specific figure of veneration.

— News Desk, Artforum, 10 Sep. 2026
This, to him, seemed an image of Our Lady and her veneration.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of veneration

Noun

His face appearing on the big screen was naturally greeted by cheers of adoration from the stands and would normally have been a pure reason to smile.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The filmmaker was showered with love and adoration by appreciative fans.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

Neither maudlin nor melodramatic, and without any glorification, the song is infected by the same chilling gloom which has glommed onto the best of Messrs Linkous, Berman, and Drake.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Grande became the face of an ongoing conversation around health, and the cultural pendulum swing away from body positivity to the glorification of thinness, ignited by the proliferation of weight-loss drugs.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of glorification

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“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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