demonize

verb

de·​mon·​ize ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz How to pronounce demonize (audio)
demonized; demonizing; demonizes

transitive verb

: 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
The 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
Violence 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
For those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.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

Examples of demonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Along the way, he was maligned in a film, attacked with green dye and subjected to a multitude of criminal cases, all while being demonized as Western puppet. Oleg Matsnev, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 To aid this consolidation, Hindu nationalists have systematically demonized India’s large Muslim minority, painting Muslims as insufficiently apologetic for the crimes of the Muslim rulers of the past and as insufficiently loyal to the India of the present. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 It has been demonized time and again, and after the COVID-19 outbreak, the animosity toward China has only worsened. Arun A.k., Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Yet cannabis enthusiasts admit there’s still a long way to go to fully normalize a plant that long was demonized and criminalized, especially by the decades-long war on drugs that gained steam during President Richard Nixon’s administration. John Aguilar, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2024 Opponents view him as a populist who relies on stoking divisions and demonizing his conservative opponents. Hyung-Jin Kim and Jiwon Song, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 After the blaze, political leaders took to demonizing the occupants of blighted buildings, ignoring their daily struggles, efforts and aspirations. John Eligon Joao Silva, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023 But Schiff’s leading role in the historic proceeding has become etched in the nation’s political psyche, lionizing him among fellow Democrats, demonizing him among Republicans and seeding his 2024 campaign for the U.S. Senate. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Penned by Mart Crowley, the play was considered daring for its time, when most gay characters were demonized, dismissed, or simply subtextual. Shania Russell, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demonize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demonize was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near demonize

Cite this Entry

“Demonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demonize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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