If someone is revered, it means he or she is held in deep respect and devotion. Religious leaders, saints, and martyrs are often revered. Celebrities? Not so much. There's a touch of the other worldly about revered.
The origins of revered reveal something about its slightly scary, awesome nature. It comes from the Latin word revereri, meaning "to fear," and the addition of the "re" at the beginning is an expression of intensive force, so the word literally means "to greatly fear." People whom are revered are not necessarily those we feel most comfortable around; we are too busy holding them in awe.
