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

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 confusedreverend 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 Formsreverently, 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

Word Origin and History for reverent

reverent

adj.

late 14c., "reverend;" late 15c., "characterized by reverence, deeply respectful," from Old French reverent and directly from Latin reverentem (nominative reverens), present participle of revereri (see reverence). The sense of "reverend" was common 14c. through 17c. Related: Reverently.

reverent

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of reverent

Examples from the Web for reverent

reverent

adjective

Word Origin for reverent

reverent