romanticize

verb

ro·man·ti·cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz

rə-

romanticized; romanticizing

Synonyms of romanticize next

transitive verb

: to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic

romanticize the past

intransitive verb

: to hold romantic ideas

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

romanticization

rō-ˌman-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən

rə-

noun

Example Sentences

He has romanticized notions of army life. a romanticized view of politics We were romanticizing about the past.

Recent Examples on the Web But their love story isn't exactly the kind of royal fairytale typically romanticized over the centuries. —

Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 6 May 2023 Rather than romanticize its subject matter, the film depicts it as a rational, if desperate, form of pragmatism. —

Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2023 There is, in all of this, a temptation to romanticize what came before. —

Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2023 But the British overreacted by executing the leaders and then the Irish were so good in romanticizing things with ballads and poetry, and that fuels the founding myths of the modern Irish state. —

Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2023 The American capacity to excuse or romanticize the I.R.A. has been as much a source of frustration to the citizens of Ireland as to anyone. —

Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2023 Those were the big-government glory days that leftists romanticize. —

Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 25 Feb. 2023 Just know that most things about life can be romanticized, moments like sharing a café con leche with your mom at 8:30 a.m., long hours of studying for finals, dancing with a special person, or even crying after receiving good news — that’s all stuff worth seeing through a romantic lens. —

Andrea Velasquez, refinery29.com, 21 Feb. 2023 These are songs that beckon celebration, hands raised over heads in secular worship of a 20-something's innate need to romanticize their life — visions of nice dresses and sunsets, the epicenter of the world awaiting your arrival, hope that your beauty and grace will never fade. —

Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2022 See More

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