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View synonyms for worship

worship

[ wur-ship ]

noun

  1. reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
  2. formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage:

    They attended worship this morning.

  3. adoring reverence or regard:

    excessive worship of business success.

    Synonyms: idolatry, adoration, homage, honor

  4. the object of adoring reverence or regard.
  5. (initial capital letter) British. a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually preceded by Your, His, or Her ).


verb (used with object)

, wor·shiped, wor·ship·ing or wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping.
  1. to render religious reverence and homage to.
  2. to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).

    Synonyms: adulate, idolize, glorify, adore, revere, venerate, honor

verb (used without object)

, wor·shiped, wor·ship·ing or wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping.
  1. to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.
  2. to attend services of divine worship.
  3. to feel an adoring reverence or regard.

worship

1

/ ˈwɜːʃɪp /

verb

  1. tr to show profound religious devotion and respect to; adore or venerate (God or any person or thing considered divine)
  2. tr to be devoted to and full of admiration for
  3. intr to have or express feelings of profound adoration
  4. intr to attend services for worship
  5. obsolete.
    tr to honour
“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

noun

  1. religious adoration or devotion
  2. the formal expression of religious adoration; rites, prayers, etc
  3. admiring love or devotion
  4. archaic.
    dignity or standing
“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

Worship

2

/ ˈwɜːʃɪp /

noun

  1. preceded byYour, His, or Her a title used to address or refer to a mayor, magistrate, or a person of similar high rank
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈworshipper, noun
  • ˈworshipable, adjective
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Other Words From

  • wor·ship·er wor·ship·per noun
  • wor·ship·ing·ly adverb
  • mis·wor·ship verb misworshiped misworshiping or misworshipped misworshipping
  • pre·wor·ship noun verb preworshiped preworshiping or preworshipped preworshipping
  • self-wor·ship noun
  • self-wor·ship·er self-wor·ship·per noun
  • self-wor·ship·ing self-wor·ship·ping adjective
  • un·wor·shiped un·wor·shipped adjective
  • un·wor·ship·ing un·wor·ship·ping adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of worship1

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun wors(c)hipe, worthssipe, Old English worthscipe, variant of weorthscipe; Middle English verb derivative of the noun; worth 1, -ship
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Word History and Origins

Origin of worship1

Old English weorthscipe, from worth 1+ -ship
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Example Sentences

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

But Moo Deng’s sudden celebrity was not merely a result of cute animal worship or the fact that the pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, is an endangered species.

Smith returned to California in “a bad mental spot” — depression runs in his family, he says — but he regained some stability working as a nurse and as a worship leader.

According the Bible's Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is a spiritual time for worship and rest from work and play.

From BBC

“He is now rejoicing and worshiping the Lord as he loved to do,” Lopez wrote.

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More About Worship

What does worship mean?

Worship is the honor and reverence given to a god or sacred object, as in The holy men would not allow anyone to interrupt their worship of the gods. 

Worship can also refer to the formal act or ceremony in which a person gives such reverence, as in The family attended worship yesterday. 

Worship can be used more generally to refer to passionate adoration or devotion of anything, as in I am sometimes disturbed by the creepy worship of celebrities.

As a verb, worship can be used in both the religious sense, as in worshipping nature, or the secular sense, as in worshiping the musician at every concert. 

In American English, worshiped and worshipping are spelled with only one P, while in British English they are spelled with two P’s (worshipped, worshipping).

Self-worship is used to refer to someone who reveres or adores themselves, as in The dozens of flattering self-portraits were just one example of the king’s self-worship.   

Example: My sister worships her cats and is always buying fancy gifts for them. 

Where does worship come from?

The first records of worship come from before the year 900. It comes from the Old English weorthscipe, formed from the word worth, meaning “good” or “important,” and the suffix -ship, indicating a condition or character. If you worship someone or something, you think they or it is important enough to be revered or idolized.

The word worship is used to discuss religion and will often appear in religious texts. Practicing a religion often includes honoring a god, multiple gods, or nature. Religious worship can involve things like prayer or meditation during which you express your devotion to a supreme being or force. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are described as “places of worship” because they are the location where you would typically go to honor your God.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to worship?

  • worshiper (noun)
  • worshipper (noun)
  • worshipingly (adverb)
  • misworship (verb)
  • preworship (noun)
  • self-worship (noun)

What are some synonyms for worship?

What are some words that share a root or word element with worship

What are some words that often get used in discussing worship?

How is worship used in real life?

Worship is commonly used to refer to religion or a person’s relationship with a supreme being. Outside of religion, worship is used to mean that a person intensely adores or reveres someone or something.

Try using worship!

Is worship used correctly in the following sentence?

Ancient Romans worshiped many gods and gave sacrifices to them at their temples to show their reverence.

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