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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reverence

2 of 2

noun

as in deference

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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

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

Bartos speaks about that trip with an admiration that borders on reverence. — Bethany Mandel, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026 In some lakes, carp are named, and those names—especially when the fish is a rare strain or extremely large—are spoken with reverence. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverence

Verb

Other venerated South Side joints included Pepper’s Lounge, the Dew Drop Inn, and Theresa’s Lounge, the latter of which was tucked away in the basement of an apartment building.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Not asked enough by those who venerated Graham is why in death the patriot’s name must be associated with what’s so inimical to American prosperity and freedom.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of venerate

Noun

For journalists, practicing deference and yielding authority are necessary steps when repairing relationships in communities that have experienced historical harm.

— Danielle K. Brown, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026
The president, himself a billionaire, has described his inclination toward appointing the ultrawealthy as deference to financial success.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of deference

Verb

Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
She was promoted to worship leader, a job typically held by an older member of the church.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of worship

Verb

Deploy cunning and operate in darkness, like those shapeshifting, half-human, half-wolf creatures revered in German folklore.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
In a sport like golf, where grinders like Clark are revered, that sort of head-down, do-the-work attitude may be what ends up appealing to fans.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of revere

Noun

Sabrina is no Dolly, which isn’t a knock but a comment on the impossibility of any new artist ever enjoying the level of admiration and adoration that Parton did for most of her life.

— David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
So Big Part of what made Dolly exceptional was her broad appeal and universal adoration.

— Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

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
Declinism, on the other hand, is an unrealistic glorification of the past coupled with the belief that things are steadily going downhill.

— Markham Heid, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of glorification

Browse Nearby Words

revered

reverence

reverenced

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Reverence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverence. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of reverence

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes