LIONIZATION Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

lionization

noun

Definition of lionization

as in praise

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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 lionization But the tonal change from braggadocio to lionization is notable, Reisman slipping at times into the giddiness of a die-hard fan meeting their idols. — Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionization

Noun

Caminero has also demonstrated improved plate discipline in 2026, earning praise from manager Kevin Cash for his selective approach.

— Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
That praise for Legette isn’t based on his performance Friday, which admittedly wasn’t nearly as splashy as previous training camp practices have been from him.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of praise

Noun

His death sparked an outpouring of adoration from his Sopranos’ castmates, among others.

— Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
One, a delight for the kitchen — the pressure, the camaraderie, the artist's heart, the pirate's adoration of heat and knives — and, another, hard drugs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

The February filing expressly argued that men and biological women who identify as men can be treated differently under equal-protection principles and emphasized the large degree of deference courts traditionally give military judgments.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026
Career agency officials with relevant expertise make the final funding decisions, giving deference to the peer reviewers.

— Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

Definition of deference

Noun

As a producer with a foot in both the classic-rock and modern pop/rap worlds, Watt possesses both a fanboy’s reverence for Stones history and a shrewd knowledge of the precision mechanics practiced in pro songwriters’ rooms.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
The actor, whose political beliefs don’t cleanly map onto the modern divisions of the two-party system, has both a reverence for America as a set of ideals and an awareness of the faults within its history that creates interesting textual friction.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026

Definition of reverence

Noun

The team was slated for elimination under funding cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, following the approbation of a $9 billion budget, outlining $57 million in cuts to general fund departments, through a 4-1 vote on June 10.

— Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
This too is greeted with collective approbation; everyone recognizes that this is the right thing to do.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

Definition of approbation

Noun

But this facial gallery closed with the Western Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity, which inherited a suspicion of idolatry from the Old Testament and Judaism.

— Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
The usual claims of occult idolatry, the sensitivity of children’s virgin eyes, and the fear of nurturing serial killers were at the heart of the debates, which had some comparing Schwartz to Jeffrey Dahmer and were only further accelerated by the intense graphics of illustrator Stephen Gammell.

— SPIN Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026

Definition of idolatry

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“Lionization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionization. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of lionization

noun

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