fetishize

verb

fe·​tish·​ize ˈfe-ti-ˌshīz How to pronounce fetishize (audio)
 also  ˈfē-
fetishized; fetishizing

transitive verb

: to make a fetish of : treat or regard with fetishism

Examples of fetishize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Many multiracial ladies of a certain age were similarly fetishized by their local Mikes, and for those of us perceived as embodying a certain type of racial ambiguity, being flirtatiously likened to Buh-jork was a collective rite of passage in the 1990s. Myriam Gurba, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Black women like myself are deeply fetishized— in film, music, and especially pornography. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The camera fetishizes their bikes and their yearning to belong as much as the characters do themselves. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023 The series looks excellent, re-creating the sumptuousness of the milieu without fetishizing it. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Food television, social media and the internet were able to fetishize chefs’ pizza obsessions in a way that spoke to a new generation of cooks who might have never considered a life slinging pies, Mangieri said. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023 The phenomenon of fetishizing the appearance of Black women as a passing trend is problematic. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 8 Aug. 2023 Even in historically gay neighborhoods like West Hollywood or San Francisco’s Castro district, Asian Americans have long been ignored or fetishized, seen as feminine and weak. Jeong Park, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2023 This is neither to fetishize bipartisanship nor sanctify our mind-boggling defense budget. Robert Schlesinger, The New Republic, 13 July 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetishize was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near fetishize

Cite this Entry

“Fetishize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetishize. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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