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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
reverent
adjective
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Jacobs' tone becomes reverent when he speaks of Salzer.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ A prince is only given meaning by the reverent gaze of others.
▪ Long, reverent newspaper obituaries were produced.
▪ Our goal is to find a third way, both reverent and free.
▪ They called him Uncle, their attitude reverent yet familiar.
▪ We are aware that these reunions are in some way historic; for a few seconds we are almost reverent.
▪ What little they spoke was in the specially reverent voice reserved by the middle classes for times of bereavement.
▪ Whispered in reverent and regretful tones, the rumors had been floating for the past few weeks that her condition had worsened.
▪ Yet beneath their glowing and reverent portrayal, there seemed to lurk another Abu Kamal.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Reverent

Reverent \Rev"er*ent\, a. [L. reverens, -entis, p. pr. of revereri. See Revere.]

  1. Disposed to revere; impressed with reverence; submissive; humble; respectful; as, reverent disciples. ``They . . . prostrate fell before him reverent.''
    --Milton.

  2. Expressing reverence, veneration, devotion, or submission; as, reverent words; reverent behavior.
    --Joye.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
reverent

late 14c., "reverend;" late 15c., "characterized by reverence, deeply respectful," from Old French reverent and directly from Latin reverentem (nominative reverens), present participle of revereri (see reverence). The sense of "reverend" was common 14c. through 17c. Related: Reverently.

Wiktionary
reverent

a. showing respect or reverence; respectful

WordNet
reverent
  1. adj. feeling or showing profound respect or veneration; "maintained a reverent silence" [ant: irreverent]

  2. showing great reverence for god; "a godly man"; "leading a godly life" [syn: godly, worshipful]

Usage examples of "reverent".

Tilting the canister and reaching inside with a reverent hand, she scooped out the stacks a palmful at a time and laid them gently in the curve of the plate.

David of old, to do battle with the Goliath of Papistry, which hath overshadowed and thrown into disrepute that true and reverent regard for ritual which should exist in the real Church of England, as ordained by law.

A hush fell as the husband of one of the elderly aunts asked the blessing, then the reverent silence was replaced by the clink of tableware against serving dishes.

Reverent fingertips on my wing, unfolding it, holding it away from my body.

And ever Donnegan was conscious of big, bright eyes watching him in a reverent fear not untinged by superstition.

Jay had always resented the way she was spoken of in reverent tones, and now he welcomed gleefully the news that she had been a 330 Ken Follett blackhearted villain.

They were all coming now, the spectators who were Bloodletters, for the Sharing, while those who were not of that brotherhood hurried to vacate the stadium, reverent of the ritual.

Only Master Li would have tossed in loaded dice and beautiful dancing girls, and the boys sat in reverent silence while they absorbed it.

But any residual doubt Calli had as to the identity of the male that rode in the lead was removed by the respectful, almost reverent way the group was received.

Holy Land, Lententide in Rome, Holy Week at Compostella while their families were left starving at home, where they eventually returned decked with cockleshells to recount their adventures, and receive the applause and reverent congratulations of their lesser neighbors who had cravenly remained at home to work for their living.

Clyde did his best, and a very good best it was, to infuse something of the banquet into their prolonged desert picnics, but even snow-cooled Heidsieck lost its flavour when you were convinced that the dusky cupbearer who served it with such reverent elegance was only waiting a convenient opportunity to cut your throat.

Matsui extended to Sano a metal handguard with attached chain-mail sleeve, his voice dropped to a reverent whisper.

Now, as I look back, I think it was sheer priggishness to resist so human and yet so reverent an impulse.

No man reveres more than I do the man of genius who in a loving and reverent way writes the history of a great people, or the poet from whose lyre comes the inspiration which induces heroic action in war and peace.

The Prince was shining-eyed and reverent and Shina blushed like a ripe strawberry.