as in to idealize
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he romanticized what life in a small town would be like, only to be later disappointed when reality intruded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of romanticize
Consider romanticizing your morning routine or finding a balance between work and self-care.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
But through this elaborate mash-up, Wright creates the off-kilter atmosphere necessary to underscore the danger at hand, the way people in power romanticize their own cruelty and spin hatred as love.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
These records start to make sense of why Dean wants to keep her distance, romanticize the weekends, and rebuild her walls when the party is over.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
The new book suggests that human beings have always been declinist, underselling the riches of the present and romanticizing what earlier generations merely made do with.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
But through this elaborate mash-up, Wright creates the off-kilter atmosphere necessary to underscore the danger at hand, the way people in power romanticize their own cruelty and spin hatred as love.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
These records start to make sense of why Dean wants to keep her distance, romanticize the weekends, and rebuild her walls when the party is over.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
The new book suggests that human beings have always been declinist, underselling the riches of the present and romanticizing what earlier generations merely made do with.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for romanticize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticize
Verb
-
There’s no wishful thinking that our society will stop idealizing appearance, but framing and intrinsic motivation matter.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Women artists within the movement often drew on its dreamlike language to counter male surrealists’ idealized and objectifying portrayals of women, reclaiming their own agency and identity.—
Sally Jane Brown,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Creative activations, particularly ones that shock or disquiet, can make the problem of textile waste visible in a city where overconsumption is often glamorized.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Safdie makes no effort to glamorize the Kerr’s work, or to insist that there is actually an elegance to what MMA fighters do.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticize. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share