reverent

[ rev-er-uh nt, rev-ruh nt ]

/ ˈrɛv ər ənt, ˈrɛv rənt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reverent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful: a reverent greeting.

Nearby words

revere, revere, paul, reverence, reverend, reverend mother, reverent, reverential, reverie, revers, reversal, reversal film

Origin of reverent

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin reverent- (stem of reverēns), present participle of reverērī to revere¹; see -ent

Related forms

rev·er·ent·ly, adverbrev·er·ent·ness, nounnon·rev·er·ent, adjectivenon·rev·er·ent·ly, adverb

self-rev·er·ent, adjectiveun·rev·er·ent, adjectiveun·rev·er·ent·ly, adverb

Can be confused

reverend reverent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reverent

The parade was solemn, with reverent music and the call-and-response singing of two choirs.
The First Americans to Observe the 4th Were Moravian Pacifists|Linda C. Brinson|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The story of these and her sisters we must pass in reverent silence.
The Real Memorial Day: Oliver Wendell Holmes's Salute To A Momentous American Anniversary|Malcolm Jones|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two, we wanted to offer sincere and reverent homage to those same beautifully made movies.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|Alex Belth|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This was as faithful and reverent an adaptation as could ever have been hoped for.
George R.R. Martin's Top 10 Fantasy Films|George R.R. Martin|April 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Together they stood at the table while the son said a few words of reverent grace.
The Sky Pilot in No Man's Land|Ralph Connor
"He may perhaps come down to lunch," said he, in reverent accents, as if to imply that the rabbi was now in the upper spheres.
Ghetto Tragedies|Israel Zangwill
Was he the most ardent of friends or the most reverent of lovers?
The Madonna of the Future|Henry James
These early funerals were carried on in a reverent manner but there was a cheerful side too.
The Stronghold|Miriam Haynie
Harry had no more shared the reverent attitude of his family toward household æsthetics than toward social values.
The Squirrel-Cage|Dorothy Canfield

British Dictionary definitions for reverent

reverent

/ (ˈrɛvərənt, ˈrɛvrənt) /

adjective

feeling, expressing, or characterized by reverence

Derived Forms

reverently, adverbreverentness, noun

Word Origin for reverent

C14: from Latin reverēns respectful

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012