Definition

1. Verb:
   • To regard with deep respect, awe, or admiration: To feel or show profound honor and deference toward someone or something, often due to their perceived holiness, excellence, or venerable status.
   • To love or admire unquestioningly and extremely: To hold in the highest esteem, sometimes to an excessive or uncritical degree.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • Many people revere their spiritual leaders.
  • We should revere the principles of justice and freedom.
  • Historians revere the ancient manuscripts for their insights into the past.

Advanced Usage

• "to be revered as": to be highly respected and considered as a particular type of person or thing.
  • She is revered as a pioneer in the field of medicine.
• "to hold in reverence": a synonymous phrase meaning to regard with deep respect.
  • The artifact is held in reverence by the local community.

Variants and Related Words

• Reverence (noun): A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe.
  • He spoke of the ancient tradition with great reverence.
• Reverent (adjective): Feeling or showing deep and solemn respect.
  • The crowd was silent and reverent during the ceremony.
• Reverential (adjective): Of the nature of, due to, or characterized by reverence.
  • She gave a reverential bow.

Synonyms

• Venerate: To regard with great respect, often with a ceremonial or religious connotation.
• Adore: To love and respect deeply; can also imply worship.
• Idolize: To admire, revere, or love greatly or excessively.
• Honor: To regard or treat with honor or respect.
• Esteem: To regard highly or favorably; to respect.

Antonyms

• Despise: To look down on with contempt or scorn.
• Disdain: To consider or reject as unworthy.
• Scorn: To treat with contempt or derision.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A revered figure": A person who is deeply respected and admired.
  • The retired judge remains a revered figure in legal circles.
• "To pay reverence to": To show respect to someone or something, often through a gesture or action.
  • They gathered to pay reverence to their ancestors.

Noun

1. a lapel on a woman's garment; turned back to show the reverse side
2. American silversmith remembered for his midnight ride (celebrated in a poem by Longfellow) to warn the colonists in Lexington and Concord that British troops were coming (1735-1818)

Verb

1. regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
   • Fear God as your father
   • We venerate genius
2. love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol
   • Many teenagers idolized the Beatles