different between litany vs worship

English

Etymology

From Old French letanie, from Ancient Greek ???????? (litaneía, “prayer”), from ???? (lit?, “prayer, entreaty”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?t?ni/

Noun

litany (plural litanies)

1. A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation.
2. A prolonged or tedious list.
   • 1988, Prepared Foods (volume 157, issues 11-13, page 9)

     The litany of packaging innovations introduced to or popularized in the U.S. food market over the last generation seems endless: flexible aseptic packaging, barrier plastics, squeezables, lightweight glass, the retort pouch, […]

   • 2016 January 30, "America deserves more from presidential hopefuls," The National (retrieved 31 January 2016):

     There are, to be sure, some differences in how the candidates propose addressing this litany of concerns.

Derived terms

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• wurship (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English worschippe, worthschipe, from Old English weorþs?ipe; synchronically analyzable as worth (“worthy, honorable”) +? -ship. Cognate with Scots worschip (“worship”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?w????p/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?w???p/, /?w????p/
• Hyphenation: wor?ship

Noun

worship (usually uncountable, plural worships)

1. (obsolete) The condition of being worthy; honour, distinction.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.3:

     Then he forth on his journey did proceede, / To seeke adventures which mote him befall, / And win him worship through his warlike deed […].

2. The devotion accorded to a deity or to a sacred object.
3. The religious ceremonies that express this devotion.
   • 1663, John Tillotson, The Wisdom of Being Religious

     The worship of God is an eminent part of religion, and prayer is a chief part of religious worship.

4. (by extension) Voluntary, utter submission; voluntary, utter deference.
5. (also by extension) Ardent love.
6. An object of worship.
   • 1882 or later, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Michel Angelo

     In attitude and aspect formed to be / At once the artist's worship and despair.

7. Honour; respect; civil deference.
   • Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

8. (chiefly British) Used as a title or term of address for various officials, including magistrates

Synonyms

• adoration
• reverence
• idolatry

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

worship (third-person singular simple present worships, present participle (Commonwealth) worshipping or (US) worshiping, simple past and past participle (Commonwealth) worshipped or (US) worshiped or (obsolete) worshipt)

1. (transitive) To reverence (a deity, etc.) with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honour of.
   • 1655, John Milton, Sonnet 18

     When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones.

2. (transitive) To honour with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.
   • a. 1639, Thomas Carew, A Cruell Mistris

     With bended knees I daily worship her.

3. (intransitive) To participate in religious ceremonies.

Derived terms

• worship the porcelain god

Translations

References

• worship at OneLook Dictionary Search