venerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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venerates,
present (3rd person singular)
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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
These mob-like depictions occurred long before cult-favorite films like Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 “The Godfather” and Brian De Palma 1983’s “Scarface” became the prominent gangster storylines various male acts venerate in their music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026
Affectionate fans venerate the dialogue’s electric crackle and the cast’s peerless comedic timing.
From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2026
The trillion-dollar pay package has its roots in Musk’s desire to control 25% of Tesla stock, so he can’t be pushed out, even though most long-time Tesla investors and his board venerate his leadership.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2025
“Oh? And how does this authority venerate my father?”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
In her poem “Entering,” Vicuña venerates “ ‘the quipu that remembers nothing,’ an empty string,” and I’d always understood that line as an expression of mourning for lost Indigenous knowledge.
From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2022
Boy Gru venerates these villains and wants to join them.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 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
It venerates Deborah the prophetess judge and the entrepreneurial Lydia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2018
He is a total abstainer from meat and liquor, and fasts once a week on the day sacred to the deity whom he venerates, usually Mahādeo; he is highly respected and never panders to vice.
From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume II by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell
But “Tony” isn’t a portrait of Bourdain as the venerated television host or the author of the bestselling 2000 book “Kitchen Confidential,” in the midst of his stint at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The clause survives as decoration: incorporated, venerated, and incapable of stopping a single seizure.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha's teachings.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Behind the statue depicting a black Virgin Mary - venerated in both religions - are the words "pray for us and pray for the Muslims".
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
It may be, too, that he wanted to show in the most startling and shocking way possible how easy it was to deceive the awful, venerated, humbly adored divinities.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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
“This dance is native and we have been venerating the Virgin for more than 50 years,” Vázquez said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2023
There was a village in the north of France where peasants were venerating a dog as a saint.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
