revere
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
noun
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Paul, 1735–1818, American silversmith and patriot, famous for his night horseback ride, April 18, 1775, to warn Massachusetts colonists of the coming of British troops.
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a city in E Massachusetts, on Massachusetts Bay, near Boston: seaside resort.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- reverable adjective
- reverer noun
Etymology
Origin of revere
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin reverērī, equivalent to re- re- + verērī “to stand in awe of, fear, feel reverence” (akin to ware 2 )
Explanation
Revere means to respect someone so deeply that you almost worship them. Many Americans revere civil rights activists like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, who worked to make the country a more just place. Revere is related to the words reverence ("to hold something in worshipful awe") and its opposite — irreverent. Reverence for the irreverent is actually possible. Howard Stern humor is often vulgar and absurdly irreverent yet his legions of fans and even some media analysts revere him and his ability to maintain a loyal audience. Revere is the perfect word when respect is not strong enough but worship seems a little too religious-sounding. Rock stars, for example, are revered by throngs of devoted fans.
Vocabulary lists containing revere
Warm-up, List 1
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I feel about Scotland the way many Europeans feel about America: I love its people, revere its history, relish its architecture and topography and regard its present-day politics with sadness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Though Bhumibol's son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation's most steadfast figurehead -- and Sirikit as his constant companion.
From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025
Without anything divine to revere, American home and landscape design largely genuflects at the altar of the market.
From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025
But his instincts regarding religious freedom were the ones that we should revere today, and his mocking attitude toward bald stupidity is instructive and prescient.
From Slate • May 9, 2025
“Interested? My dear Hagrid, I revere them,” said Slughorn, stepping back from the body.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
