worship

[wur-ship]

noun

reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.

adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.

the object of adoring reverence or regard.

(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 (especially British) wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping.

to render religious reverence and homage to.

to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing).

verb (used without object), wor·shiped, wor·ship·ing or (especially British) wor·shipped, wor·ship·ping.

to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity.

to attend services of divine worship.

to feel an adoring reverence or regard.

Origin of worship

before 900; (noun) Middle English wors(c)hipe, worthssipe, Old English worthscipe, variant of weorthscipe; see worth¹, -ship; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Related formswor·ship·er, nounwor·ship·ing·ly, adverbmis·wor·ship, verb, mis·wor·shiped, mis·wor·ship·ing or (especially British) mis·wor·shipped, mis·wor·ship·ping.pre·wor·ship, noun, verb, pre·wor·shiped, pre·wor·ship·ing or (especially British) pre·wor·shipped, pre·wor·ship·ping.self-wor·ship, nounself-wor·ship·er, nounself-wor·ship·ing, adjectiveself-wor·ship·ping, adjectiveun·wor·shiped, adjectiveun·wor·ship·ing, adjectiveun·wor·shipped, adjectiveun·wor·ship·ping, adjective

Synonyms for worship

3. honor, homage, adoration, idolatry. 7. honor, venerate, revere, adore, glorify, idolize, adulate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for worshiping

adoration, ritual, prayer, rite, devotion, canonize, idolize, admire, venerate, adore, chant, sing, revere, celebrate, love, adulation, genuflection, respect, idolatry, prostration

Examples from the Web for worshiping

Contemporary Examples of worshiping

Romney was raised in the Detroit suburbs as an Al Kaline–worshiping Tigers fan.
Jock the Vote
Bryan Curtis
July 7, 2011

Historical Examples of worshiping

He was worshiping not the animal-headed idols, but the attributes which they personified.
The Cat of Bubastes
G. A. Henty
And yet if he could be "turned to a coal," why should she go on worshiping him?
Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 20, August 1877
Various
It may be observed that he here confounded washing with worshiping.
The Gypsies
Charles G. Leland
Just as John was coming home to her, and she worshiping him so, and he her!
At Pinney's Ranch
Edward Bellamy
This is the idol we are worshiping instead of the true and only God.
The Right Knock
Helen Van-Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for worshiping

worship

verb -ships, -shipping or -shipped or US -ships, -shiping or -shiped

(tr) to show profound religious devotion and respect to; adore or venerate (God or any person or thing considered divine)

(tr) to be devoted to and full of admiration for

(intr) to have or express feelings of profound adoration

(intr) to attend services for worship

(tr) obsolete to honour

noun

religious adoration or devotion

the formal expression of religious adoration; rites, prayers, etc

admiring love or devotion

archaic dignity or standing

Derived Formsworshipable, adjectiveworshipper, noun

Word Origin for worship

Old English weorthscipe, from worth 1 + -ship

Worship

noun

mainly British (preceded by Your, 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

Word Origin and History for worshiping

worship

Old English worðscip, wurðscip (Anglian), weorðscipe (West Saxon) "condition of being worthy, honor, renown," from weorð "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship). Sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is first recorded c.1300. The original sense is preserved in the title worshipful (c.1300).

worship

c.1200, from worship (n.). Related: Worshipped; worshipping.