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

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

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

Derived Forms

• ˈworshipper, noun
• ˈworshipable, adjective

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of worship¹

Old English weorthscipe, from worth ¹+ -ship

Example Sentences

In other recent posts and comments, she said she was “ashamed to be an American” and that Trump supporters “worship a fascist.”

From Los Angeles Times

“They’re going to church expecting to worship.”

From Los Angeles Times

A Lancaster 18-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to phoning in hundreds of false threats of imminent bombings, mass shootings and violence targeting locations across the U.S., including places of worship and schools.

From Los Angeles Times

Let’s move this off email, and let’s all meet up together in a public space, in a park, in a place of worship, in a community center, and let’s talk about what it means to stay in touch with each other and united in defense of those values.

From Slate

“This bill dangerously weaponizes the Treasury against nonprofit organizations and houses of worship — Christian, Jewish, or Muslim — that dare to support Palestinian and Lebanese human rights or criticize Israel’s genocidal actions,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement.

From Salon

Related Words

• adoration
• church service
• devotion
• prayer
• rite
• ritual