REVERE Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'revere' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of revere are adore , reverence , venerate , and worship . While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling. // a professor revered by her students

Q: In what contexts can 'adore' take the place of 'revere'?

While the synonyms adore and revere are close in meaning, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment. // we adored our doctor

Q: When can 'reverence' be used instead of 'revere'?

The meanings of reverence and revere largely overlap; however, 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 could 'venerate' be used to replace 'revere'?

The words venerate and revere are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age. // heroes still venerated

Q: When would 'worship' be a good substitute for 'revere'?

The synonyms worship and revere are sometimes interchangeable, but worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony. // worships their memory

revere

verb

ri-ˈvir

Definition of revere

as in to venerate

to offer honor or respect to (someone) as a divine power in some cultures people revere their ancestors, even leaving food offerings for them

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How does the verb revere differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of revere are adore, reverence, venerate, and worship. While all these words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully," revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling.

a professor revered by her students

In what contexts can adore take the place of revere?

While the synonyms adore and revere are close in meaning, adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.

we adored our doctor

When can reverence be used instead of revere?

The meanings of reverence and revere largely overlap; however, 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 could venerate be used to replace revere?

The words venerate and revere are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age.

heroes still venerated

When would worship be a good substitute for revere?

The synonyms worship and revere 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 revere 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 Captured after years on the run and sentenced to life in 2017, Mladic remained defiant and unrepentant, still revered by some Serbs as a nationalist hero. — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 The beverage carries cultural significance — cows are revered — but has become a challenge for health officials in the country. — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 Phuket, Thailand’s largest island in the Andaman Sea, is home to a colossal 147-foot marble statue known as Big Buddha and revered for its white-sand beaches. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revere

Recent Examples of Synonyms for revere

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

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

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

Definition of reverence

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reverberative

revere

revered

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“Revere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revere. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of revere

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