Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| vénérer | /ve.ne.ʁe/ |
| adorer | /a.dɔ.ʁe/ |
The term 'worship' refers to the act of honoring and adoring, especially in the context of a deity. When you wish to refer to the act of worship or a religious service as a noun, use le culte. Other nouns related to worship include adoration and vénération for devotion to a deity or sacred object, or culte to describe the ardent love of a person.
Which one should you use?
While both words can mean to worship, they are used differently in context. adorer is frequently used colloquially as an intensifier for 'to like' in everyday conversation. In contrast, vénérer maintains a much stronger and more formal sense of profound respect or religious devotion.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ve.ne.ʁe/ (3 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should be careful not to use adorer exclusively for religious worship in French, as it often functions as a common intensifier for 'to like' in casual conversation.
Did you know?
- French distinguishes between vénération for saints or relics and adoration for God alone in strict Catholic theological terminology.
- The Latin root of adorer, 'adōrāre', originally meant to pray to or approach a deity with specific gestures, a nuance that survives in the formal French usage.
- The word culte for worship is used in the phrase culte de la personnalité, which refers to the 'cult of personality' surrounding political leaders.
Examples in context
- Ce salaud pense que tout le monde devrait le vénérer.This bastard thinks that everyone should worship him.This sentence uses vénérer to express a person's demand for worship.Tatoeba #8447848 by Aiji, translation #2227962 by AlanF_US
- Il adorera Dieu.He'll worship God.This sentence uses adorer to describe worship directed toward God.Tatoeba #2102964 by Amastan, translation #12292435 by Miktsoanit
- On pourrait décrire le besoin irrépressible d'adorer quelque chose comme un syndrome de déification.The urge to worship something could be described as a deification syndrome.This sentence uses adorer to describe the urge to worship something.Tatoeba #3447558 by sacredceltic, translation #3447556 by sacredceltic
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are visiting an ancient temple.
- LéaLes anciens peuples venaient ici pour vénérer leur dieu.Ancient peoples came here to worship their god.
- LucasC'est un lieu vraiment impressionnant.It is a truly impressive place.
- LéaLucas, regarde la taille de cette statue !Lucas, look at the size of this statue!
- LucasElle est immense et magnifique.It is huge and magnificent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worship” translations and entries vénérer, adorer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adorer, vénérer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
