demonize

verb

de·​mon·​ize ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 

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

ˌdē-mə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

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

Neither demonized nor redeemed, these characters mostly end up dead or in prison, and even those who survive are haunted by misunderstandings, feuds, and mistakes. —Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024

They’ve been undermined and demonized partly by external forces and internal forces. —Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

That leaves gender transition, which is easily caricatured and demonized by unscrupulous politicians aiming to rally their base against a wholly imaginary crisis. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

In several statements, UNRWA has rejected any suggestion that it's been aiding Hamas and accused Israel of attempting to demonize the agency. —Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024

During her time as RNC chair, McDaniel repeatedly assailed the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024

Still, years of worsening ties, as well as official comments and state media coverage demonizing the United States, have had an impact on Chinese public opinion. —Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

Maddow took issue with McDaniel’s long track record of demonizing the news media, including launching ugly attacks on NBC News journalists and MSNBC hosts. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024

During her time as chair, McDaniel repeatedly attacked the press, which has become increasingly popular in Republican circles over the last several years as Donald Trump demonizes journalists and news institutions. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above