romanticize

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

Synonyms of romanticize

• idealize
• glamorize

Examples of romanticize in a Sentence

He has romanticized notions of army life.

a romanticized view of politics

We were romanticizing about the past.

Recent Examples on the Web

For a guy used to the warmth of an arena crowd, Pragiwaksono romanticizes open mics, those awkward showcases of aspiring comics performing largely in front of other aspiring comics. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026

Your book is accused by some Chinese audiences of romanticizing colonialism, or of being an example of colonial nostalgia literature. — Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR, 29 July 2026

Yet when conservatives complain about diverse casting in movies, or romanticize the era of colonialism, or insist that women should be disenfranchised, this is more than mere trolling for eyeballs. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

The cyclospora outbreak isn’t the first time an illness has been romanticized as a way to achieve rapid weight loss. — Oona Hanson, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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