worshiped

Worshiped is the past tense and past participle of the verb worship. In religious contexts, to worship means to show reverence, adoration, and devotion to a deity, sacred object, or higher power. It can involve acts such as prayer, ritual, offerings, music, or communal liturgy. In secular usage, to worship can also mean to hold something or someone in extreme admiration, though this metaphorical sense is less formal and can imply idolization rather than religious devotion.

Etymology and variants

The term derives from Old English weorþscipe, from weorþ “worthy, worthy of honor” plus -scipe “state, quality.” The modern form reflects the historical shift from a noun-like basis to a verb. In spelling, American English typically uses worshiped as the simple past, while British English often prefers worshipped; both spellings are accepted in many dictionaries, with no change in meaning.

Usage notes

Worship is usually transitive when directed at a deity or sacred focus (e.g., worship God, worship the sun) and can be used intransitively in phrases like “to go to worship.” The noun form “worship” refers to acts of reverence or the state of being worshiped. In religious studies, worship contrasts with concepts like adoration, reverence, and liturgy, and it may vary across traditions in terms of practices and theological emphasis.

See also

Idolatry, reverence, adoration, devotion, liturgy.