idealize

verb

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ide·al·ize | \ ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlīz

idealized; idealizing

Definition of idealize

transitive verb

1a : to attribute ideal characteristics to tended to idealize her teachers

b : to give an ideal form or value to

2 : to treat idealistically portraitists who idealize their subjects

intransitive verb

1 : to form ideals

2 : to work idealistically

Other Words from idealize Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About idealize

Other Words from idealize

idealization \ ī-ˌdē-(ə-)lə-ˈzā-shən

\ noun

idealizer \ ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlī-zər

\ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for idealize

Synonyms

Antonyms

deglamorize

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 on the Web And so we both sort of fetishize and idealize really excellent musicians from abroad and kind of have our own kind of, Oh, but what about our homegrown soloists? — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2022 Letting go of a lost cause has two difficult and complicated steps, oversimplified as follows: Fill up your life meaningfully without this person, and resist the temptation to idealize what isn’t there. — Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2022 Krasner, with his frank, no-nonsense rhetoric and his indifference to tradition, is easy to idealize. — Anna Boots, The New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2021 But in her willingness to confront these authoritarian experiments, Colley refuses to idealize constitutions. — Washington Post, 14 May 2021 Procrastinators often idealize their future selves, just like Eoin did. — Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2021 Americans often idealize scientists as unbiased, objective observers. — Popular Science, 28 Sep. 2020 Make no mistake, Ray said: the goal is to not to idealize Comey. — Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2020 In a culture that idealizes maternal self-sacrifice, remember that self-care is not selfish. — New York Times, 16 Apr. 2020 See More

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.

Learn More About idealize

Dictionary Entries Near idealize

ideality

idealize

ideally

Statistics for idealize

Last Updated

22 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Idealize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idealize. Accessed 27 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for idealize

idealize

transitive verb

ide·al·ize

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

idealized or chiefly British idealised; idealizing or chiefly British idealising

Medical Definition of idealize

: 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