romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce romanticize (audio)
rə-
romanticized; romanticizing

transitive verb

: to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic
romanticize the past

intransitive verb

1
: to hold romantic ideas
2
: to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way
romanticization noun

Examples of romanticize in a Sentence

He has romanticized notions of army life. a romanticized view of politics We were romanticizing about the past.
Recent Examples on the Web Dani romanticizes her disorder as rebellious taboo-breaking, and this leads her to make a troubling alliance online with someone else who represses urges: a pedophile. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Many people romanticize their ex at the end of a relationship and long to reconnect with their fantasy of that person, Black said. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Nail enthusiasts are familiar with the high that comes with romanticizing those fun designs and mixing and matching bright colors for the upcoming season, so why not indulge in those good feels now? Audrey Noble, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2024 These are songs that beckon celebration, hands raised over heads in secular worship of a 20-something's innate need to romanticize their life — visions of nice dresses and sunsets, the epicenter of the world awaiting your arrival, hope that your beauty and grace will never fade. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024 The first episode sets you up for a nostalgic dive, but that romanticized sentimentality dies quickly thereafter, once the air attacks begins. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 At the risk of romanticizing the art form, Phillips also says there’s something intangible about lashing fur and feathers onto a hook. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2024 There is a process of romanticizing and scrubbing away how overwhelming and terrifying childhood is a lot of the time for a lot of us. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2023 The spiky, unsentimental writings of Diana Athill refuse to romanticize emotional discontent. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'romanticize.' 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

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of romanticize was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near romanticize

Cite this Entry

“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romanticize. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

romanticize

verb
ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈmant-ə-ˌsīz How to pronounce romanticize (audio)
romanticized; romanticizing
1
: to make romantic : show in a romantic way
2
: to have romantic ideas
romanticization noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!