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re·vere¹

(rĭ-vîr)

tr.v. re·vered, re·ver·ing, re·veres

To regard with awe, deference, and devotion.

[French révérer, from Old French reverer, from Latin reverērī : re-, re- + verērī, to respect; see wer-³ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Synonyms: revere¹, worship, venerate, adore, idolize
These verbs mean to regard with deep respect, deference, and admiration. Revere suggests awe coupled with profound honor: "At least one third of the population ... reveres every sort of holy man" (Rudyard Kipling).
Worship connotes an often uncritical devotion: "[The shortstop] was universally worshipped by fans from the first day he came to Boston" (Dan Shaughnessy).
Venerate connotes reverence accorded by virtue especially of dignity or age: "I venerate the memory of my grandfather" (Horace Walpole).
To adore is to worship with deep, often rapturous love: The students adored their caring teacher. Idolize implies regard like that accorded an object of religious devotion: a general who was idolized by his troops.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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