Venerate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Venerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Venerating.]
Etymology: [L. veneratus, p. p. of venerari to venerate; akin to Venus Venus, Skr. van to like, to wish, and E. winsome. See Winsome.]
To regard with reverential respect; to honor with mingled respect and awe; to reverence; to revere; as, we venerate parents and elders. And seemed to venerate the sacred shade. Dryden. I do not know a man more to be venerated for uprightness of heart and loftiness of genius. Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- To reverence; revere; adore; respect.
Shades of meaning
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. Revere is a stronger word than reverence or 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. We adore with a humble yet free outflowing of soul. Compare veneration.