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),  a title of honor used in addressing or mentioning certain magistrates and others of high rank or station (usually preceded by Your, His, orHer ).

verb (used with object)

worshiped, worshiping, worshipped, worshipping. 

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)

worshiped, worshiping, worshipped, worshipping. 

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. a title used to address or refer to a mayor, magistrate, or a person of similar high rank

Other Word Forms

• worshipper noun
• worshipable adjective
• worshiper noun
• worshipingly adverb
• misworship verb
• preworship noun
• self-worship noun
• self-worshiper noun
• self-worshipper noun
• self-worshiping adjective
• self-worshipping adjective
• unworshiped adjective
• unworshipped adjective
• unworshiping adjective
• unworshipping 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

Watching “I Know This Much Is True” invites those of us keeping up with the latest TV releases to ponder how much prestige series productions worship tragedy – violent, miserable, and plain old funky.

From Salon

A good description for addiction is “false worship” — making something or somebody into your God and sacrificing everything to it.

From Los Angeles Times

“A threat on one house of worship is an attack on every place of worship, and we refuse to allow threats and terror dissuade any person from practicing their faith without fear.”

From Los Angeles Times

One of their favorite groups was Slayer, a popular metal act that featured a song with lyrics about worshiping Satan and sacrificing a blonde, blue-eyed virgin.

From Los Angeles Times

Once upon a time, in places like pre-Civil War Virginia and North Carolina, the law forbade enslaved people from gathering for any reason, even to worship.

From Salon

Related Words

• admire 
• adore 
• canonize 
• celebrate 
• chant 
• idolize 
• revere 
• sing 
• venerate 

When To Use

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.