venerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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venerates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
venerated,
past participle, past
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venerating
present participle
verb
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to hold in deep respect; revere
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to honour in recognition of qualities of holiness, excellence, wisdom, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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veneratesimple
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veneratessimple
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have veneratedperfect
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has veneratedperfect
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am veneratingprogressive
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are veneratingprogressive
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is veneratingprogressive
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have been veneratingperfect progressive
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has been veneratingperfect progressive
Past
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veneratedsimple
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had veneratedperfect
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was veneratingprogressive
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were veneratingprogressive
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had been veneratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of venerate
1615–25; < Latin venerātus, past participle of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere, verbal derivative of vener-, stem of venus, presumably in its original sense “desire”; see Venus)
Explanation
To venerate is to worship, adore, be in awe of. You probably don't venerate your teacher or boss; however, you may act like you do! The word hasn't come far from its Latin roots in venerari, "to worship." Although you can certainly venerate a deity, a person can deserve it, too. We don't usually venerate our friends: instead, we usually save this feeling for deities or remarkable people who inspire awe. Mother Teresa was venerated for her work with the poor, and Gandhi was venerated for his efforts for peace, but most people aren't venerated for normal stuff like taking out the trash or hanging out on a Saturday.
Vocabulary lists containing venerate
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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.
See Examples For:
Similarly, we both embrace holy tradition, including the Bible, the church fathers and the seven ancient ecumenical councils, and we venerate the cross, Mary, saints, icons and holy relics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Netflix and other streamers have already split the film industry down the middle, separating those who venerate the art form from those who venerate the dollar, leaving many Hollywood titans flailing somewhere in the middle.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
What "Christians still venerate today, in 2026, in the relics of a saint is the presence of the Holy Spirit," he said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
It is, however, one reason why we venerate the founders.
From Slate ● May 8, 2024
An offering fell to the floor, the host, and Lana knelt to venerate and retrieve it.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Within a legal profession that venerates judges and worships the Supreme Court, this is borderline heresy.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Boy Gru venerates these villains and wants to join them.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2022
He not only follows in the footsteps of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King; he venerates him, often invoking him, and actively seeks to extend his work.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2022
Xi wants to be both a visionary reformer who will secure the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese people," and a virtuous traditionalist who venerates China's cultural heritage and studies the lessons of his imperial predecessors.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2021
Similarly the Dhīmar venerates his fishing-net, and will not wear shoes of sewn leather, because he thinks that the sacred thread which makes his net is debased if used for shoes.
From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India—Volume I (of IV) by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell
The clause survives as decoration: incorporated, venerated, and incapable of stopping a single seizure.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
With its nostalgically-painted, golden-maned horses, wistful French chanson music wafting as it turns, the Carrousel de St Pierre, by the venerated Sacre Coeur Church, is a firm favourite amongst tourists to Paris.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century monastery with emblematic golden domes, is venerated by both the Russian and Ukrainian wings of the Orthodox Church as one of their most important spiritual centres.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
As the historian Daniel Dreisbach has observed, the King James Bible was “the most accessible, authoritative, and venerated text in early colonial society.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
This was always followed by Collins’s Ode on the Passions, wherein I particularly venerated Mr. Wopsle as Revenge throwing his blood-stained sword in thunder down, and taking the War-denouncing trumpet with a withering look.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
The U.S.-influenced counterculture of the 1960s inverted the social order, venerating indigenous folkways and fueling aspirations for full independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
At the Butovo firing range, a Stalin-era execution site near Moscow that has become a shrine to his victims, visiting Russians warned against venerating the wartime leader or emulating his ideas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
The themes of performances at Mr Gopalakrishnan's house include honouring a deified ancestor, venerating a warrior-hunter deity, and worshipping tiger spirits symbolising strength and protection.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024
“Fernando, popularly known as “El Toro”, isn’t just a player; he’s a symbol of resilience, dedication, and passion to many like myself who grew up venerating him,” wrote Hector Gonzalez, who started the petition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
The arms at attention, the eyes ever lowered, a venerating bend to his head.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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