v. 1
To reverence (a deity, etc.) with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honour of.
v. 2
To touch, fondle, or kiss in an intensely sensual way.
n. 1
Voluntary, utter submission; voluntary, utter deference.

Related words

Word family: worshipable worshipper worshipful worshipworthy
Phrases: house of worship place of worship ancestor worship worship song celebrity worship syndrome muscle worship

Forms

Plural: worships → adorations, idolatries, reverences, religions…
Past participle: worshiped
e.g. worshiped → praised, idolized, revered, exalted…

Choose the right word

Worship, Devotion or Devotions?

Worship may be external and formal, or it may be the adoring reverence of the human spirit for the divine, seeking outward expression. Devotion, which in its fullest sense is self-consecration, is often used to denote an act of worship, especially prayer or adoration; as, he is engaged in his devotions.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

praise Why do you get embarrassed when people praise you?
exalt The party will continue to exalt their hero.
idolize I don't understand why people idolize criminals.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
worship		rising
praise		rising
revere		rising
exalt		rising
idolize		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: cult¹
5 letters: honor², glory², adore², grope¹, exalt², deify³
6 letters: honour², praise¹, homage², revere²
7 letters: respect², idolize³, idolise
8 letters: religion³, devotion³, idolatry⁴, venerate³, canoodle
9 letters: reverence³, adoration⁴, ideolatry
10 letters: admiration⁴, veneration⁴, apotheosis⁵
11 letters: deification⁵, apotheosize, apotheosise

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (honor² = 2 syllables).