revere |ri?vi(?)r| verb [ trans. ] (often be revered) feel deep respect or admiration for (something) : Cézanne's still lifes were revered by his contemporaries ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French révérer or Latin revereri, from re- (expressing intensive force) + vereri 'to fear.' THE RIGHT WORDWe might admire someone who walks a tightrope between two skyscrapers, idolize a rock star, adore our mothers, and revere a person like Martin Luther King, Jr. Each of these verbs conveys the idea of regarding someone or something with respect and honor, but they differ considerably in terms of the feelings they connote. Admire suggests a feeling of delight and enthusiastic appreciation (: admire the courage of the mountain climber), while adore implies the tenderness and warmth of unquestioning love ( | he adored babies). Idolize is an extreme form of adoration, suggesting a slavish, helpless love, (: he idolized the older quarterback).We revere individuals and institutions that command our respect for their accomplishments or attributes (: he revered his old English professor). Venerate and worship are usually found in religious contexts (: venerate saints and worship God) but both words may be used in other contexts as well. Venerate is usually associated with dignity and advanced age (: venerate the old man who had founded the company more than 50 years ago), while worship connotes an excessive and uncritical respect ( | the young girls who waited outside the stage door worshiped the ground he walked on).
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