romanticize

1 of 2

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz 

rə-

romanticized; romanticizing

transitive verb

: to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic

romanticize the past

intransitive verb

1

: to hold romantic ideas

2

: to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way

The book romanticized military life.

romanticization

rō-ˌman-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

rə-

noun

romanticization

2 of 2

noun

ro·​man·​ti·​ci·​za·​tion rōˌmantəsə̇ˈzāshən 

plural -s

: the act or process of romanticizing

Synonyms of romanticize

Verb

• idealize
• glamorize

Examples of romanticize in a Sentence

Verb

He has romanticized notions of army life.

a romanticized view of politics

We were romanticizing about the past.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Hollywood has long romanticized the era, and there’s a reason these references continue to resonate. — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 17 July 2026

Have fun romanticizing the routine — this is your superpower right now. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

As early as the 1930s, Levi’s advertisements romanticized cowboys, the Wild West, the rugged frontier lifestyle. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026

The Lesson Travels Beyond Football For anyone who leads an organization, the temptation is to read Argentina and conclude that suffering itself is the asset—to manufacture urgency, glorify overwork, or romanticize crisis. — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for romanticize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈmant-ə-ˌsīz 

romanticized; romanticizing

1

: to make romantic : show in a romantic way

2

: to have romantic ideas

romanticization

-ˌmant-ə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

noun