demonize
verb
de·mon·ize
ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 
demonized; demonizing; demonizes
: to portray (someone or something) as evil or as worthy of contempt or blame : vilify
But the Senate hearings have a broader purpose than exposing I.R.S. sins. They are a central element in a campaign by Congressional Republicans to demonize the tax agency, already the least loved of all Government bureaucracies.—
John M. Broder
John M. BroderThe point is not to demonize business leaders. Their reasons for not hiring make eminent sense, given the incentives of the marketplace and the imperative to remain competitive.—Zachary Karabell
Zachary KarabellViolence in the media has become the whipping boy of choice in these hypocritical times. It's easier to demonize a movie screen than to deal with the thorny issues of crime, racism, drugs, poverty and gun control.—Peter Travers
Peter TraversFor those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.—Gina Maranto
Gina Maranto
demonization
noun
plural demonizations
In the Washington of Clinton and Gingrich, Dole and Buchanan, … the demonization of one's political foes has reached an epic frenzy.
—Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Examples of demonize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of them were constructed decades after the Civil War, as part of an effort to demonize Reconstruction and its goal of multiracial democracy, and to justify the emerging Jim Crow regime.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Bread, often demonized in modern diets, also plays a key role when prepared correctly.
—Ashlyn Messier, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Novel candidates can undermine the ability of autocrats to sow division and demonize major opponents.
—Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
Many in the consultant class recall how Democrats’ political bloodbath in 2010 was predicated on Republicans demonizing Nancy Pelosi, who was House Speaker at the time.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demonize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Bread, often demonized in modern diets, also plays a key role when prepared correctly.
—Ashlyn Messier, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Novel candidates can undermine the ability of autocrats to sow division and demonize major opponents.
—Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
Many in the consultant class recall how Democrats’ political bloodbath in 2010 was predicated on Republicans demonizing Nancy Pelosi, who was House Speaker at the time.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demonize
Cite this Entry
“Demonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demonize. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share