lionize
verb
Did you know?
Across time and across cultures—as evidenced from Chauvet-Pont d’Arc’s paintings to The Lion King—lions have captured people’s imaginations. Though the big cats themselves are fascinatingly complex, it’s perhaps no surprise that humans have long projected qualities of bravery and regality upon the proverbial “king of the beasts.” It is precisely those and similar admirable qualities that led, in the 18th century, to lion being used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field, as in “lion of the Senate,” or “literary lion.” This sense of lion imbues the verb lionize, which first appeared in English in the early 19th century to apply to acts of treating someone as, perhaps, deserving of roaring applause.
Examples of lionize in a Sentence
Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Since then, the nonstop Goodall, who turned 90 on April 3 during a typically exhausting American tour, has been lionized (or aped) in books and movies.
—Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Nevsky is lionized in Russian history as the leader who repulsed several attacks from the west, notably his defeat in 1242 of the Livonian Order that sought to spread Western Catholicism into regions where Eastern Orthodoxy was predominant.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation was an act of moral blackmail, and those who have lionized him want to see more such acts.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024
Turgenev was also one of the earliest Russian writers to be lionized by Westerners—not just by close friends like Flaubert but also by later figures (some of them expatriates themselves), such as Henry James and Joseph Conrad.
—The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Monica was once a young girl who similarly lionized Captain Marvel before becoming disillusioned.
—EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023
But Schiff’s leading role in the historic proceeding has become etched in the nation’s political psyche, lionizing him among fellow Democrats, demonizing him among Republicans and seeding his 2024 campaign for the U.S. Senate.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
The group is widely lionized by the Bitcoin community, both for its legislative work and for its combative stance toward critics of the industry.
—Gabriel J.x. Dance, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lionize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
1809, in the meaning defined above
Podcast
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Dictionary Entries Near lionize
Cite this Entry
“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lionize. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on lionize
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lionize
Share