venerate
gb/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt/ us/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
respect deeply and admire
To respect someone or something a lot.
Usage pattern:
venerate [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Do not use it for ordinary liking ("I venerate this song"); it usually implies unusually deep respect.
Synonyms
revere (Very close in meaning; also strongly suggests deep respect.)
|
esteem (More about high regard; less likely to sound religious.)
|
admire (More common and less intense than venerate.)
|
honor (Can emphasize showing respect through actions or ceremonies.)
Antonyms
despise (Shows strong lack of respect and strong dislike.)
|
disdain (Shows contempt; the opposite attitude of reverence.)
Collocations
venerate a leader
|venerate a hero
|venerate an author
|venerate an artist
|venerate a teacher
|venerate tradition
|venerate the past
|venerate the elderly
|venerate ancestors
|widely venerated
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|culture
|education
Examples
- In her field, she is widely venerated for her integrity and generosity.
- The community venerates its founders and tells stories about them every year.
- Some students venerate their professor and repeat his ideas as if they were unquestionable.
Learner examples
- Many people venerate their grandparents.
- He venerates his mentor.
Verb
formal
C1
action
2
treat as sacred in religion
To show religious respect to someone or something holy.
Usage pattern:
venerate [saint/relic/icon/place]
Common mistake:
In many traditions, venerate does not mean exactly the same as worship; it often refers to honoring saints or sacred objects.
Synonyms
revere (Nearly identical; can sound slightly less specific to formal religious practice.)
|
hold sacred (Emphasizes treating something as holy rather than acts of devotion.)
Antonyms
profane (To treat something sacred with disrespect.)
|
desecrate (To damage or disrespect something holy.)
Collocations
venerate saints
|venerate Mary
|venerate relics
|venerate icons
|venerate sacred sites
|venerate ancestors
|venerate a shrine
|venerate the cross
|deeply venerated
|religiously venerated
Themes
religion
|culture
Examples
- Pilgrims travel to the site to venerate the relics kept in the chapel.
- In that tradition, believers venerate saints as examples of faith.
- The icon was venerated for centuries and protected during times of war.
Learner examples
- Many people venerate saints.
- They venerate the shrine.
Grammar
Dictionary form
venerate
IPA
GB/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt/
US/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt/
Syllables & stress
ven - er - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ven)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: venerate
- 3rd Person Singular: venerates
- Present Participle: venerating
- Past: venerated
Expressions
venerate [someone/something] as [something]
1/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ ˈæz sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
regard as a great example
To respect someone as an important example or symbol.
Examples
- Many readers venerate her as a pioneer of modern science fiction.
- In the company, he was venerated as the person who saved the business.
- The building is venerated as a symbol of the city’s independence.
venerate the memory of [someone]
1/vˈɛnɚˌeɪt ðə mˈɛmɚi əv sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
formal
honor someone after death
To remember and respect someone who died.
Examples
- The scholarship was created to venerate the memory of the doctor who served the town for decades.
- Every year, the team holds a match to venerate the memory of its former captain.
- The museum exhibit was designed to venerate the memory of those who were lost.