anointed; anointing; anoints
1
: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance
2
a
: to apply oil to as part of a religious ceremony
The priest anointed the sick.
b
: to choose by or as if by divine election
anoint him as his successor
also
: to designate as if by a ritual anointment
Critics have anointed her as an important new literary figure.
anointer
noun
Examples of anoint in a Sentence
The magazine anointed her the most popular actress of the year.
anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection
Recent Examples on the Web
The force of the example, as Taggart explains, lies in us forgetting that Lizzo was once an oddball rapper-flautist who was anointed by Prince; an indie artist with pipes who endeared herself to mean Brooklyn gays.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Two days later, the player anointed as the NHL’s best all-around defenseman was on the ice at a Detroit-area rink under the watch of Jonathan Sigalet, his skills coach.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 5 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
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Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
Sometimes he was described as a modern-day Cyrus, a Persian king and a pagan in the Hebrew Bible whom God nevertheless anointed and would use for his purposes.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Two days later, the player anointed as the NHL’s best all-around defenseman was on the ice at a Detroit-area rink under the watch of Jonathan Sigalet, his skills coach.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 5 June 2026
In the wake of the shooting, many New Yorkers anointed him a hero for doling out street justice in the crime-riddled subway system.
—Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anoint. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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