Revere, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Revered; p. pr. & vb. n. Revering.]
Etymology: [L. revereri; pref. re- re- + vereri to fear, perh. akin to E. wary: cf. F. révérer.]
To regard with reverence, or profound respect and affection, mingled with awe or fear; to venerate; to reverence; to honor in estimation. Marcus Aurelius, whom he rather revered as his father than treated as his partner in the empire. Addison.
Syn. -- To venerate; adore; reverence.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for revere; he lists it under admire, venerate.
Where he writes about it:
We honor and respect noble character wherever found; we revere and venerate it in the aged. — from admire
In the highest sense, to revere or reverence is to hold in mingled love and honor with something of sacred fear, as for that which while lovely is sublimely exalted and brings upon us by contrast a sense of our unworthiness or inferiority; to revere is a wholly spiritual act; to reverence is often, tho not necessarily, to give outward expression to the reverential feeling; we revere or reverence the divine majesty. — from venerate
Revere is a stronger word than reverence or venerate. — from venerate
To venerate is to hold in exalted honor without fear, and is applied to objects less removed from ourselves than those we revere, being said especially of aged persons, of places or objects having sacred associations, and of abstractions; we venerate an aged pastor, the dust of heroes or martyrs, lofty virtue or self-sacrifice, or some great cause, as that of civil or religious liberty; we do not venerate God, but revere or reverence him. — from venerate