as in admired
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person
She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.
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Recent Examples of lionized
In Trumpworld, he is lionized, ubiquitous, as loyal to the President in his way as Stephen Miller.
—
David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Nursing has long been lionized as one of the most stable and safe professions for young graduates to pursue.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
His work here should be respected, not lionized.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
To see that kind of big-budget artistry properly lionized, given some of the duds the Academy has recognized in recent years—I’m looking at you, Green Book—felt like a true triumph.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Barry Goldwater thundered against centralized power, Ronald Reagan lionized hands-off government and liberty, and even Richard Nixon respected certain limits.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Today, though, Oppenheimer is lionized while Bush is little known outside a small circle of historians, computer scientists, and policy thinkers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 June 2024
David Remnick, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Nursing has long been lionized as one of the most stable and safe professions for young graduates to pursue.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
His work here should be respected, not lionized.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
To see that kind of big-budget artistry properly lionized, given some of the duds the Academy has recognized in recent years—I’m looking at you, Green Book—felt like a true triumph.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Barry Goldwater thundered against centralized power, Ronald Reagan lionized hands-off government and liberty, and even Richard Nixon respected certain limits.
—Dan Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Today, though, Oppenheimer is lionized while Bush is little known outside a small circle of historians, computer scientists, and policy thinkers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionized
Verb
-
According to People, the teenager has long admired her mom's red-and-white 1973 Bronco.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
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But behind the acclaim lies an ongoing challenge in an industry that prioritizes commerce over creativity, which, Lennon says, drew him to the story of artists he’s known and admired for years.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet many of the women honored at this year's Tony Awards chose to redirect attention elsewhere.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
The morning after he was honored by the Rotary Club, Cole discussed his life, including his memories of the Great Depression, during an interview with The Sacramento Bee at a senior home in Land Park.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The critters moved into the creek in 2006 and despite plans by some concerned officials to evict them, some remain there today, adored and revered by Martinez residents and many others.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
This land has long been revered as the home of Pele, the goddess of creation and destruction.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The grappa is poured, and praised.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The activist Charlie Kirk praised him onstage.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
They’re respected, respected by the people that have to respect them.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
-
The Raos were respected in Oak Grove and elsewhere.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The backstory The Ritz-Carlton Maldives opening is bittersweet for followers of Kerry Hill, the late, venerated Australian architect responsible for some of the most legendary hotels in the last quarter-century (including several Aman properties and The Datai Langkawi).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
And the qualities that once stigmatized the sport are now venerated by the White House.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
For decades your homepage was the front door, and brands worshipped Google to be found.—
Lutz Finger,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
Those critics referenced the golden calf idol worshipped by the Israelites before Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lionized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionized. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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