What does worshiping mean?
Worshiping is the present-participle and gerund form of worship, meaning to offer religious devotion or reverence, especially to God or another sacred being or object. It can also be used figuratively to describe adoring someone or something with exceptional enthusiasm, fidelity, or exaggeration. The word commonly appears in descriptions of religious practice, as in worshiping God, idols, or the sun, but it can also describe intense devotion to a person, artist, idea, or possession. American English generally spells it with one p, while British English commonly uses worshipping with two. Worship itself ultimately comes from an Old English term meaning worthiness or honor, illustrating how a neutral idea of esteem developed into the modern sense of religious veneration. The word is useful because it captures both solemn religious commitment and the broader human tendency to devote extraordinary admiration to something.
verbWorshiping means engaging in acts of religious devotion or reverence toward God or another sacred being or object. Figuratively, it can mean adoring or treating someone or something with extreme devotion.
- Engaging in religious worship or acts of devotion toward a deity, sacred being, or object.
- Figuratively, adoring or championing someone or something with intense devotion.
"The congregation gathered at dawn, worshiping beneath the old stone arches."
"The congregation gathered at dawn, worshiping beneath the old stone arches."
"She was worshiping the singer, repeating every lyric with undisguised delight."
The word originally meant worthiness or honor before its meaning developed into religious reverence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does worshiping come from?
The modern form comes from worship, which derives from Old English weorþscipe, originally meaning worthiness or honor. The term developed through Middle English into its familiar religious sense of reverence or devotion. Its related forms include worshipper and worshipful, while the present participle is spelled worshiping in American English and worshipping in British English.
Related word forms
How worshiping is actually used
The spelling is worshiping in American English and worshipping in British English. The word may describe formal religious devotion or, figuratively, intense admiration, sometimes with a slightly critical or exaggerated implication.
Easily confused with worshiping
Worshiping is the act of venerating or adoring, whereas a warship is a military vessel.