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:
That made it an object to venerate as well as a beacon amid political storms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 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
Given that so much of the hype surrounding “Sinners” was because of its music, the choice wasn’t just disappointing; it was irresponsible to the artists the Globes claim to venerate.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
This should matter to folks on the left and the right, to those who venerate higher education and those who vote in favor of states’ rights against federal overreach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
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
His considerable height, lean frame and beard only added to the sense that, at least in spirit, Mr. Glass has succeeded in summoning the man he so clearly venerates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“A culture that venerates Cory from ‘Boy Meets World,’ or Zach & Slater over Screech in ‘Saved by the Bell,’ or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in ‘Family Matters,’ will not produce the best engineers.”
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2024
Boy Gru venerates these villains and wants to join them.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2022
Are there stories told unworthy a man who venerates the name of his mother?
From The Abominations of Modern Society by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage
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
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 dog is Gwenforte, of Ville Sainte-Geneviève. She has been venerated there as a saint ever since her martyrdom ten years ago.”
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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
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.
