worship

• wurship (obsolete)

From Middle English worschippe, worthschipe, from Old English weorþsċipe. Synchronically analyzable as worth (“worthy, honorable”) +‎ -ship. Cognate with Scots worschip (“worship”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːʃɪp/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝʃɪp/
  • (rare) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔɹʃɪp/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Homophone: warship (General American, rare)
• Hyphenation: wor‧ship

worship (usually uncountable, plural worships)

1. The devotion accorded to a deity or to a sacred object.

   Polytheistic theology and worship had to go underground.

2. (Christianity, specifically) The adoration owed to God alone, as greater than the veneration that may be accorded to figures such as saints.
3. The religious ceremonies that express this devotion.
   • 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], 8th edition, London: […] T. Goodwin, B[enjamin] Tooke, and J. Pemberton, […]; J. Round […], and J[acob] Tonson] […], published 1720, →OCLC:

     The worship of God is an eminent part of religion, and prayer is a chief part of religious worship.

4. (by extension) Voluntary, utter submission; voluntary, utter deference.

   Synonyms: adoration, reverence, idolatry

5. (also by extension) Ardent love.
6. An object of worship.
   • 1882 or later, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Michel Angelo

     In attitude and aspect formed to be / At once the artist's worship and despair.

7. Honour; respect; civil deference.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 8:

     of which great worth and worship may be won

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:10:

     Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

8. (chiefly Britain) Used as a title or term of address for various officials, including magistrates
   • 1837 March, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Relates How Oliver Twist Was Very Near Getting a Place, Which Would Not Have Been a Sinecure”, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], published 1838, →OCLC, page 48:

     “I beg your worship’s pardon,” said Mr. Bumble, incredulous of his having heard aright,—“did your worship speak to me?”

   • 2010, Val McDermid, A Place of Execution:

     'Your Worships, I have a submission to put before the court. As Your Worships are aware, it is the duty of the court under Section thirty-nine of the Children and Young Persons Act to protect the identity of minors who are victims of offences […]

9. (obsolete) The condition of being worthy; honour, distinction.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xxiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:

     I will be on horsbak said the knyght / thenne was Arthur wrothe and dressid his sheld toward hym with his swerd drawen / whan the knyght sawe that / he a lyghte / for hym thought no worship to haue a knyght at suche auaille he to be on horsbak and he on foot and so he alyght & dressid his sheld vnto Arthur

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Then he forth on his journey did proceede, / To seeke adventures which mote him befall, / And win him worship through his warlike deed […].

worship (third-person singular simple present worships, present participle (Commonwealth) worshipping or (US) worshiping, simple past and past participle (Commonwealth) worshipped or (US) worshiped or (obsolete) worshipt)

1. (transitive) To reverence (a deity, etc.) with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honour of.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     God is to be worshipped.

   • 1655, John Milton, Sonnet 18:

     When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones.

2. (transitive) To honour with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.
   • 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 8, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 251:

     'All the household worshipped her.'

   • a. 1639, Thomas Carew, A Cruell Mistris

     With bended knees I daily worship her.

3. (intransitive) To participate in religious ceremonies.

   We worship at the church down the road.

• worship the porcelain god

• worship at OneLook Dictionary Search