as in to symbolize
disapproving
to treat (someone) as an object rather than as a person
She says beauty pageants objectify women.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of objectify
Being fetishized and objectified by everyone in her life quickly takes a toll on Becca.
—
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2025
Influenced by Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket,Schrader takes sensuous pleasure not only in objectifying his male lead, who plays a character that eagerly agrees to his own objectification, but also in the surfaces of his environment.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Also remarkable is the director’s refusal to objectify Annette’s body.
—Rhonda Garelick, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
Somehow, through a nauseating cascade of increasingly grotesque distortions of the human form, the movie morphs into a meaningful satire on society's stance that older women are irrelevant—blowing a kiss into the camera at the genre's past tendency to objectify female characters.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for objectify
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2025
Influenced by Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket,Schrader takes sensuous pleasure not only in objectifying his male lead, who plays a character that eagerly agrees to his own objectification, but also in the surfaces of his environment.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Also remarkable is the director’s refusal to objectify Annette’s body.
—Rhonda Garelick, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
Somehow, through a nauseating cascade of increasingly grotesque distortions of the human form, the movie morphs into a meaningful satire on society's stance that older women are irrelevant—blowing a kiss into the camera at the genre's past tendency to objectify female characters.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for objectify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for objectify
Verb
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Historically, the very first Juneteenth in 1866 was recognized with food, music, and the reading of spirituals — symbolizing both freedom and pride in Black progress.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
20 June 2025
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The Summer Solstice, which commences on June 20th at 10:42 p.m. EST, symbolizes the sun's and Mother Earth's mighty force.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
19 June 2025
Verb
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This guidance was finalized in September 2024, solidifying the FDA’s support for incorporating decentralized elements in clinical trials.—
Jiang Li,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Some folks choose to incorporate bright, bold colors into their bathrooms, with a textured mat or patterned shower curtains.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Anyway, this serves to illustrate how, at the helm, Murati had to address Musk’s input.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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An anecdote illustrates this trend: a freelance graphic designer once lost hours to a phishing link masquerading as a payment request.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Objectify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/objectify. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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