worshipful
Americanadjective
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feeling or showing worship.
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British. (the) Worshipful. a formal title of honor used in announcing or mentioning certain highly regarded or respected persons or groups.
the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
adjective
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feeling or showing reverence or adoration
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(often capital) a title used to address or refer to various people or bodies of distinguished rank, such as mayors and certain ancient companies of the City of London
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of worshipful
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; see origin at worship, -ful
Explanation
When you're devoted to or in awe of something, you're worshipful. Do you adore and admire your older cousin? You could say that your love for her is worshipful. When you're worshipful, you worship someone or something. Both words are commonly used in a religious context, to talk about adoration and reverence for a deity: "For Buddhists, worshipful meditation is an important practice." These days, worship and worshipful are also frequently used in non-religious ways as well. If you finally get to see your favorite band perform, you might end the night with worshipful tears streaming down your face, so intense is your admiration for their music.
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.
The painter Frederic Edwin Church would make detailed sketches of plants that might appear in his spectacular, worshipful paintings of the wilderness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
This requires a good deal of planning; consider the many testimonials to be delivered, the heart-warming anecdotes to be shared and those worshipful videos celebrating the nominee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2024
They don’t have the same kind of worshipful attitude toward the people who, over many years, created Canada.
From Slate ● May 8, 2024
On the one hand, those who have persevered for a decade verge on worshipful.
From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2023
Vandara made the worshipful gesture with her hands.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
