deify

verb

de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio) ˈdā- How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a god of
b
: to take as an object of worship
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth

Examples of deify in a Sentence

The people deified the emperor. materialistic people who deify money
Recent Examples on the Web By the end of the 18th century, he was properly deified. Time, 16 Aug. 2023 Today, of course, the political wing once most likely to deify the FBI wants to defund it. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2023 Hercules, for example, after a life as a mortal strongman, was deified on his funeral pyre. Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 The state party is split into two uncooperative factions, and the side with money and a winning record appears to have no interest in helping Diehl, whose rise has been fueled by conservatives who deify Trump and despise Republican Governor Charlie Baker. Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Nov. 2022 Some even deify their leaders, or at least assert that they are divinely inspired. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Nov. 2022 Anyone with the will to correct this problem should not further deify those at the top, but strengthen and respect the less flamboyant levels of the system. Douglas Board, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2021 For those of us who deify Penélope Cruz, the new film is a case of déjà vu. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2021 Gandhi was suspicious of his followers’ attempts to deify him. Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 6 Dec. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French deifier, from Late Latin deificare, from Latin deus god + -ficare -fy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of deify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near deify

Cite this Entry

“Deify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deify. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

deify

verb
de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying
1
a
: to make a god of
Roman emperors were often deified
b
: to take as an object of worship
Druids deified oak trees
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth
deify money
deification
ˌdē-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on deify

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!