as in honoring
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 lionizing
That brings us back to the folly of lionizing Kent as a conscientious objector to Trump and the president’s hawkish foreign policy as of late.
—
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles educators were also directed to immediately shift from lionizing Chávez to honoring instead the farmworkers’ movement.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Gelles avoids lionizing Patagonia’s leader, describing Chouinard’s mercurial leadership style that often bewildered his staff at Patagonia.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizing
Verb
-
There’s plenty to see and do on this one street—stop by Colonial Park Cemetery, established in 1750; the Juliet Gordon Low Birthplace Museum, honoring the founder of the Girl Scouts; then grab a bite at Marbled & Fin, where luxe appetizers and aged steaks reign supreme.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
-
Bidders will also find capes, drapes, peignoirs, jumpsuits, fur coats and red, white and blue ensemble that Ann-Margret wore for a performance at the White House, when President Gerald Ford was honoring the Shah of Iran.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
After a few beats of admiring the group and the video, the woman leaves.—
Oren Peleg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
-
Spend the day hiking one of the nearby trails, shopping through the central square, and admiring the winding paths and colorful homes.—
Hayley Domin,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Kelli cries over how solid the Mwangi unit is, praising Gerald as a father and husband and affirming that Shamea’s ass is real, while everyone else looks on, bewildered.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
On Friday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on social media praising a reported drop in homicides in his city on Gun Violence Awareness Day.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
What these men accomplished is worth remembering and revering even as their number dwindles.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
-
His whole combo — coddling yet revering — makes clear how this hopeless estate chugged along for so long.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jellicle Ball joins that lineage, inviting its audience to experience the joys of the Black and Latino ball scene while venerating its bittersweet roots.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Exquisite dribblers such as Olise need protecting and venerating.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both are signed through 2027 and are eager to grow together after respecting each other from afar.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Making jewelry out of vintage memorabilia is even more challenging, as Villa is adamant about respecting the integrity of the original pieces.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In the entry, a ditsy print (Schumacher’s Margie Floral in Porcelain) climbs up the walls and carries the blue-and-white combo upstairs, where the primary suite embraces those same sky-worshipping shades—a tip of the hat to the scenery outside.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
-
Community advocates said tragic events like what happened in California should not stop the community from worshipping freely.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
The story goes that Balanchine was so struck by the multi-colored glow of the jewelry displays at the Van Cleef & Arpels New York showroom that this led him to create a dance exalting their beauty.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lionizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizing. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
