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
This appears to be a failing strategy for several reasons, including that the AI is presumably not a clergy member, pastoral counselor, or other religious leader (maybe a desperate attempt could be made to anoint the AI in that fashion, but this would seem readily overturned).
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The best-case scenario might be for Xi to anoint a successor who is permitted to quietly build a base of power in Xi’s final years.
—Tyler Jost, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
As one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA history, many experts are anointing the 6-foot-9 Maine native as potentially the next face of the league.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
Murder Mystery 2 is the first movie Adam Sandler released after being anointed by the Kennedy Center and Nickelodeon, receiving the Mark Twain Prize and the King of Comedy Award, respectively.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The best-case scenario might be for Xi to anoint a successor who is permitted to quietly build a base of power in Xi’s final years.
—Tyler Jost, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2025
As one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA history, many experts are anointing the 6-foot-9 Maine native as potentially the next face of the league.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025
Murder Mystery 2 is the first movie Adam Sandler released after being anointed by the Kennedy Center and Nickelodeon, receiving the Mark Twain Prize and the King of Comedy Award, respectively.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for anoint
Cite this Entry
“Anoint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anoint. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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