Synonyms of transmute

transmute

verb

tran(t)s-ˈmyüt 

as in to transform

to change in form, appearance, or use

in his elegy on his deceased wife, the poet has transmuted inconsolable grief into high art

Synonyms & Similar Words

• transform
• convert
• transfigure
• metamorphose
• rework
• alchemize
• remodel
• transpose
• replace
• transubstantiate
• alter
• modify
• adjust
• recast
• make over
• revise
• redesign
• redefine
• mutate
• reengineer
• deform
• refashion
• distort
• supplant
• transmogrify
• redo
• disfigure
• regenerate
• remake
• revamp
• vary
• substitute
• displace

Synonym Chooser

How is the word transmute different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transmute are convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transform, and transmogrify. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

When might convert be a better fit than transmute?

Although the words convert and transmute have much in common, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is it sensible to use metamorphose instead of transmute?

The words metamorphose and transmute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

When is transfigure a more appropriate choice than transmute?

The meanings of transfigure and transmute largely overlap; however, transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When would transform be a good substitute for transmute?

The words transform and transmute can be used in similar contexts, but transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

In what contexts can transmogrify take the place of transmute?

While the synonyms transmogrify and transmute are close in meaning, transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of transmute

An election that would otherwise have punished the Liberals for Trudeau’s bad economic management was transmuted into a referendum on Canada’s continued national existence. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025

This is teen sexuality as postmodern spectacle: a mishmash of transgressive allusions transmuted into a product that can’t possibly be interpreted as serious. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025

At this hot cocoon, the researchers suggest the jet's high-energy photons can interact with atomic nuclei, transmuting protons to neutrons incredibly quickly — on the order of a nanosecond. —Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025

The scene is a horrifying tableau, but one somehow transmuted, by the camera’s unwavering focus and the doctor’s calm, soothing ministrations, into an incongruous vision of grace. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025