What does worship mean?
Worship denotes the act of honouring and venerating a deity or sacred being, particularly through prayer, ritual, music, or other religious observances. As a verb, it describes the offering of such devotion and can also be applied metaphorically to people treated with extraordinary or uncritical admiration. Religious uses include worship in a church or temple, freedom of worship, and places of worship. Figurative uses, such as hero worship or idol worship, often carry a critical implication: the person receives a degree of attention or devotion that may be excessive. The word is consequently useful because it ranges from solemn, collective religious practice to sharply ironic descriptions of modern celebrity culture. Its British and American pronunciations differ chiefly in the quality of the first vowel, while the meaning and basic usage are shared.
The expression of reverence and devotion to a deity or sacred being, especially through religious observance; figuratively, intense or excessive admiration for a person or thing.
"The chapel was open for prayer and worship throughout the day."
The countable plural is possible but uncommon; worship is usually treated as an uncountable noun.
To offer reverence and devotion to a deity or sacred being; figuratively, to regard a person or thing with intense, sometimes excessive admiration.
"They worshipped at the shrine before beginning their journey."
When used figuratively, the verb can imply blind or excessive admiration.
The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon; worship is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"Different forms of worship were practiced throughout the region."
The Old English ancestor of worship was weorðscipe, a compound meaning honour or veneration; its modern range still stretches from solemn devotion to almost comic hero worship.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of worship
Worship comes from Old English weorðscipe, a noun meaning honour, veneration, or worship, formed from weorþ, meaning value or honour, and an Old English suffix related to modern -ship. The word already had religious associations in English, and the verb meaning to offer worship developed from the older noun. Over time, its religious sense was extended metaphorically to people or things treated as objects of intense devotion.
Related word forms
How worship is actually used
In religious contexts, worship is formal and usually neutral or positive. In figurative uses, especially phrases such as hero worship and idol worship, it often suggests devotion that is excessive, uncritical, or misplaced. The spellings worshipped and worshiping are standard in British English, while worshiped and worshiping are standard in American English.