reverent

[rev-er-uhnt, rev-ruhnt]

adjective

1. feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful.

   a reverent greeting.

reverent

/ ˈrɛvərənt, ˈrɛvrənt /

adjective

1. feeling, expressing, or characterized by reverence

Other Word Forms

• reverently adverb
• reverentness noun
• nonreverent adjective
• self-reverent adjective
• unreverent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reverent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Latin reverent- (stem of reverēns ), present participle of reverērī “to fear, have reverence”; revere ¹, -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of reverent¹

C14: from Latin reverēns respectful

Example Sentences

In 2005, he even honored his heroes with a reverent version of “In My Life.”

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We witness reverent preparation, much ceremony and more blood than any slasher film, and eventually absorb the unmistakable sense that this macho performative world exists almost defiantly against anyone’s notion of “progress.”

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These two Salon stories — one rowdy, one reverent — show the range of his voice and the depth of his seeing.

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In one clip, he uses it to deliver a gravelly, reverent takedown of Chuck E. Cheese: “A casino for the juice box crowd, where the ATM is your dad and the mouse always wins.”

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But by its end, this episode of “Overcompensating” doesn’t feel so much like a reverent ode to its television inspiration as it does something entirely new.

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Related Words

• appreciative 
• deferential 
• gracious 
• polite 
• reverential 
• solemn