worship

noun

/ˈwɜːʃɪp/

/ˈwɜːrʃɪp/

jump to other results

[uncountable] the practice of showing respect for God or a god, by saying prayers, singing with others, etc.; a ceremony for this
- an act/a place of worship
- morning/evening worship (= a church service in the morning/evening)
- The tradition of ancestor worship stretches back thousands of years.
Extra Examples
- Fifteen per cent of the population attend a place of worship.
- Our worship today is led by the Reverend John Parker.
- Under the new regime, all religions enjoy freedom of worship.
- the use of music in worship
Topics Religion and festivalsc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- daily
- regular
- evening
- …
verb + worship
- conduct
- lead
- attend
- …
preposition
- in worship
- worship of
phrases
- an act of worship
- forms of worship
- freedom of worship
- …
See full entry
[uncountable] a strong feeling of love and respect for somebody/something synonym adoration
- What she feels for him is akin to worship.
see also hero worshipTopics Feelingsc1
His, Your, etc. Worship
[countable] (British English, formal) a polite way of addressing or referring to a magistrate or mayor

Word OriginOld English weorthscipe ‘worthiness, acknowledgement of worth’ (see worth, -ship).

worship

verb

/ˈwɜːʃɪp/

/ˈwɜːrʃɪp/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they worship	/ˈwɜːʃɪp/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪp/
he / she / it worships	/ˈwɜːʃɪps/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪps/
past simple worshipped	/ˈwɜːʃɪpt/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpt/
past participle worshipped	/ˈwɜːʃɪpt/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpt/
(North American English also) past simple worshiped	/ˈwɜːʃɪpt/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpt/
(North American English also) past participle worshiped	/ˈwɜːʃɪpt/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpt/
-ing form worshipping	/ˈwɜːʃɪpɪŋ/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpɪŋ/
(North American English also) -ing form worshiping	/ˈwɜːʃɪpɪŋ/ /ˈwɜːrʃɪpɪŋ/

jump to other results

[transitive] worship somebody/something to show respect for God or a god, especially by saying prayers, singing, etc. with other people in a religious building
- The Mayans built jungle pyramids to worship their gods.
Collocations Religion
ReligionBeing religious
- believe in God/Christ/Allah/free will/predestination/heaven and hell/an afterlife/reincarnation
- be/become a believer/an atheist/an agnostic/a Christian/Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist, etc.
- convert to/practise a religion/Buddhism/Catholicism/Christianity/Islam/Judaism, etc.
- go to church/(North American English) temple (= the synagogue)
- go to the local church/mosque/synagogue/gurdwara
- belong to a church/a religious community
- join/enter the church/a convent/a monastery/a religious sect/the clergy/the priesthood
- praise/worship/obey/serve/glorify God
Celebrations and ritual
- attend/hold/conduct/lead a service
- perform a ceremony/a rite/a ritual/a baptism/the Hajj/a mitzvah
- carry out/perform a sacred/burial/funeral/fertility/purification rite
- go on/make a pilgrimage
- celebrate Christmas/Easter/Eid/Ramadan/Hanukkah/Passover/Diwali
- observe/break the Sabbath/a fast/Ramadan
- deliver/preach/hear a sermon
- lead/address the congregation
- say/recite a prayer/blessing
Religious texts and ideas
- preach/proclaim/spread the word of God/the Gospel/the message of Islam
- study/follow the dharma/the teachings of Buddha
- read/study/understand/interpret scripture/the Bible/the Koran/the gospel/the Torah
- be based on/derive from divine revelation
- commit/consider something heresy/sacrilege
Religious belief and experience
- seek/find/gain enlightenment/wisdom
- strengthen/lose your faith
- keep/practise/practice/abandon the faith
- save/purify/lose your soul
- obey/follow/keep/break/violate a commandment/Islamic law/Jewish law
- be/accept/do God’s will
- receive/experience divine grace
- achieve/attain enlightenment/salvation/nirvana
- undergo a conversion/rebirth/reincarnation
- hear/answer a prayer
- commit/confess/forgive a sin
- do/perform penance
Topics Religion and festivalsc1
[intransitive] to go to a service in a religious building
- We worship at St Mary's.
- He worshipped at the local mosque.
Topics Religion and festivalsc1
[transitive] worship somebody/something to love and admire somebody very much, especially so much that you cannot see their faults
- She worships her children.
- He worshipped her from afar (= he loved her but did not tell her his feelings).
- She worships the ground he walks on.
Topics Feelingsc1

Word OriginOld English weorthscipe ‘worthiness, acknowledgement of worth’ (see worth, -ship).