lionize

verb

Definition of lionizenext
as in to honor
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 lionize In the early days of the war, Union troops from Boston had borrowed the familiar melody of a religious camp meeting song and added new lyrics lionizing John Brown, the leader of the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 There are episodes that reflect the tendency to lionize the Founders in a way that is incomplete. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026 Greenspan was the rare celebrity among central bankers, lionized for his economic stewardship in the 1990s. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 22 June 2026 Jay Cooke, who had once been lionized for his role in financing the Union victory, was attacked in the press and accused of cheating ordinary Americans out of their savings. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lionize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionize
  1. honor
  2. admire
  3. revere
  4. venerate
  5. exalt
  6. respect
  7. praise
  8. worship
Verb
  • The annual award recognizes the top high school football player in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties, honoring not only athletic excellence but also leadership, character, academics and sportsmanship.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The best way to honor Veterans Day is to take President Eisenhower’s admonition to heart and work for peace in the future, resolving that, henceforth, Americans will have to serve only in wars where America’s vital interests are truly at stake.
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of honor
Verb
  • Willett admired his punk style and conviction that a band’s artwork matters as much as its music.
    — Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The Dolphins admire Willis for his toughness practicing and playing through the groin injury the past two weeks.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of admire
Verb
  • So much revered New Journalism from that period and earlier — Gay Talese, Joseph Mitchell, many others — was pretty loose with facts, quotes, and composite characters.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026
  • His conservative and authoritarian father, Ludwig, raised his only child to revere the monarchy and take pride in their country’s achievements.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of revere
Verb
  • But the differences in results in the bodies do show that the capacocha ceremony wasn’t uniform and could vary by geography and by which god was being venerated.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026
  • His collection includes many serious items that might be blessed or venerated.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of venerate
Verb
  • Her dense imagery, exalting family and the Black communities of her native Columbus, Ohio, made her one of America’s great storytellers in any medium.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mercury is exalted in Virgo until September 10, so the first part of the month is a good time to get into the logistical weeds about it.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of exalt
Verb
  • Segalovitz’s policing background is well-known and respected among Ra’am supporters.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Trump considered Graham a friend and adviser and respected his national security experience and instincts.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of respect
Verb
  • And several places in the state’s mountains were praised for their fall foliage, CharlotteFive previously reported.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Jim praised the company's efforts to keep prices down for consumers battling the elevated costs of everyday items from groceries to gasoline.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of praise
Verb
  • Pantone, a universal system for accurately specifying colors, and worshipped by designers and printers around the world, sells a straightforward ruler ($29).
    — Nicholas Blechman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Stevie Wonder wanted to talk with me, the little boy who worshipped his music straight into adulthood?
    — Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of worship

Browse Nearby Words

lionizations
lionize
lionized
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionize. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All