idealize

play

verb ide·al·ize \ ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlīz \

Definition of idealize

idealized; idealizing

intransitive verb

1 :to form ideals

2 :to work idealistically

transitive verb

1 a :to give an ideal form or value to

b :to attribute ideal characteristics to

tended to idealize her teachers

2 :to treat idealistically

portraitists who idealize their subjects

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idealization

play \ī-ˌdē-(ə-)lə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

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idealizer

play \ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlī-zər\ noun

See idealize defined for English-language learners

See idealize defined for kids

Examples of idealize in a Sentence

She tends to idealize her job.
he had a tendency to idealize his heroes and believe they could do no wrong

Recent Examples of idealize from the Web

There's the Mazda Miata, championed as the perfect car by those who idealize driving purity and bolt-action gear shifts.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "The 2017 Volvo V90 Cross Country, a brown station wagon for the 21st century," 11 Aug. 2017
Within a few years, The Shangri-Las were hooking up with a motorcycle gang leader, Martha and the Vandellas were idealizing their Wild One, and all was right with the world. -- A.U. 30.

— billboard staff, Billboard, "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks," 10 July 2017
Muralists of that time like Diego Rivera idealized the working class, peasants and Mexico’s indigenous past.

— seattle times staff & news services, The Seattle Times, "The week’s passages," 7 July 2017
NBA fans idealize their teams to the point that nobody new can compete.

— mark whicker, Orange County Register, "Whicker: Yesterday’s gone, so let’s appreciate the Warriors as they are," 16 June 2017
But the general tenor of his work idealized Native Americans in the name of preserving vanishing ways of life.

— teju cole, New York Times, "Getting Others Right," 13 June 2017
According to Morehouse’s website, Miss Maroon and White embodies the feminine qualities that the Men of Morehouse cherish and idealize.

— allison gordon, ajc, "Social media reacts to death of Morehouse president," 8 June 2017
But Christians don’t own a monopoly on forgiveness, a universal principle that humans have long idealized.

— brandon ambrosino, Washington Post, "Kathy Griffin tweeted something stupid. We should forgive her.," 31 May 2017
But here’s the thing: the time these people are idealizing—the time when women couldn’t leave marriages—was horrible.

— jennifer wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Feminism and the (False) Fear of Dying Alone," 23 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'idealize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of idealize

1786

idealize Synonyms

Synonyms

glamorize (also glamourize), glamour (up), glorify, romanticize

Antonyms

deglamorize

Related Words

heroicize, heroize; euphemize, poeticize, soften, sweeten; adulate, canonize, deify, idolize; aggrandize, dignify, ennoble, enshrine, enthrone, magnify

Near Antonyms

belittle, decry, denigrate, deprecate, disparage, minimize, put down

IDEALIZE Defined for English Language Learners

idealize

play

verb

Definition of idealize for English Language Learners

: to think of or represent (someone or something) as being perfect

Medical Dictionary

idealize

transitive verb ide·al·ize

variants: or chiefly British idealise play \ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlīz\

medical Definition of idealize

idealized or chiefly British idealised; idealizing or chiefly British idealising

:to give ideal form or value to :attribute ideal characteristics of excellence to

constantly shifting moods and a tendency to idealize or devalue other people
—Harvard Mental Health Letter

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idealization

or chiefly British idealisation play \ī-ˌdē-(ə-)lə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for idealize Spanish Central: Translation of idealize Nglish: Translation of idealize for Spanish speakers

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idealize

Definition of idealize

idealization

idealizer

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Examples of idealize in a Sentence

Recent Examples of idealize from the Web

First Known Use of idealize

idealize Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

IDEALIZE Defined for English Language Learners

idealize

Definition of idealize for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

idealize

medical Definition of idealize

idealization

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