LIONIZING Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

lionizing

verb

present participle of lionize

as in honoring

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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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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionizing

Verb

Flags will line roadsides and fairgrounds, including a display of 2,977 flags in Parkville and a candlelight walk of 343 flags in Arbutus honoring the FDNY firefighters who died.

— The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2026
Serbia is a candidate nation for European Union membership and has faced strong criticism for honoring Mladic after his death.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of honoring

Verb

Inspired by the Old Hollywood bon vivants Hendrix grew up admiring —Zsa Zsa Gabor, among them — Lucy is a wickedly sharp and glamorous 1940s socialite whose shows blend crowd work, magic and vaudevillian stunts.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2026
Or, more specifically, in its central courtyard, admiring a soaring installation of a gridded wooden sculpture.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of admiring

Verb

Carlson praising a member of the Democratic Party is more threatening to Vance than Carlson praising an apologist for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
The video of the confrontation has drawn more than 64,000 likes, with many commenters praising Opperman as a small-town hero.

— Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of praising

Verb

In time, generations of directors and studio execs who came up revering trailblazing path set by 1970s New Hollywood titans like Coppola would come to fundamentally see the sequel in a different light as a result.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Our history is complex but acknowledging its complexity shouldn't be considered inconsistent with loving our country and revering its founders.

— New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of revering

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

Definition of venerating

Verb

Tools that detect hazards, monitor occupancy levels or identify emergency situations without collecting personally identifiable information can improve safety while respecting privacy.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The model is also better at staying oriented, respecting task boundaries, understanding user intent, completing tedious tasks and carrying out multi-step workflows, according to a release.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of respecting

Verb

Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Sakela is typically expressed through dance, music, group rituals and by worshipping nature.

— PhotoVogue, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of worshipping

Verb

This has been an awesome showcase of American community, with our own USMNT support and other countries’ diasporas springing up exalting watch parties all over the place.

— Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 19 July 2026
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

Definition of exalting

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lionizes

lionizing

lions

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“Lionizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionizing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lionizing

verb

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