romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz 

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

The book romanticized military life.

romanticization

rō-ˌman-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

rə-

noun

Synonyms of romanticize

• idealize
• glamorize

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

Holi has also been romanticized and popularized over the decades in Bollywood films. —ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026

Maybe if Robinson had 31-inch arms the Dolphins wouldn’t have romanticized him so much, and avoided selecting him with the 21st overall pick. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

While a scalloped edge will romanticize floral sheets even further, when paired with a deep navy hue and a more loopy motif your bedding set will skew coastal. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Feb. 2026

No more romanticizing what the core looks like in 148 minutes together. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for romanticize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈmant-ə-ˌsīz 

romanticized; romanticizing

1

: to make romantic : show in a romantic way

2

: to have romantic ideas

romanticization

-ˌmant-ə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

noun