Synonyms of canonize

canonize

verb

ˈka-nə-ˌnīz 

1

as in to adore

to love or admire too much

a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• adore
• worship
• like
• idolize
• deify
• revere
• adulate
• hero-worship
• dote (on)
• regard
• venerate
• prefer
• appreciate
• cherish
• treasure
• favor
• respect
• approve
• value
• endorse
• prize
• esteem
• fancy
• hallow
• support

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hate
• despise
• dislike
• loathe
• abhor
• detest
• disdain
• disparage
• abominate
• belittle
• deprecate
• put down
• misprize

2

as in to elevate

to assign a high status or value to

those movie buffs who have canonized Alfred Hitchcock as filmdom's preeminent director

Synonyms & Similar Words

• elevate
• promote
• enshrine
• deify
• enthrone
• exalt
• ennoble
• aggrandize
• lift
• glorify
• dignify
• magnify
• honor
• upgrade
• praise
• raise
• ensky
• boost
• uplift
• idealize
• intensify
• heighten
• romanticize
• laud
• sanitize
• sugarcoat
• extol
• acclaim

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• humble
• humiliate
• demean
• degrade
• minimize
• disparage
• decry
• detract
• belittle
• depreciate
• abase

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of canonize

She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1995. — CNN Money, 13 May 2026

Gaudí is on the path to possible sainthood, but he won’t be canonized during the pope’s trip, Spain’s bishops said Wednesday. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

Gaudí is on the path to possible sainthood, but he won't be canonized during the pope's trip, Spain's bishops said Wednesday. — ABC News, 6 May 2026

From ancient epics to contemporary headlines, humans have spent centuries canonizing courage as a rare and admirable virtue. — Cynthia Pury, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026