as in to popularize
to use so much as to make less appealing
the composer's masterpiece has been hopelessly vulgarized by its use in countless TV commercials
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 vulgarize
His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
—Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
—Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulgarize
Verb
-
At The Times, Peterson helped to popularize ballet flats, strapless swimwear and Courrèges, among other designers.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
-
It’s being popularized by factions who argue that Christianity is being used by opportunists for political gain.—
Lisa Fletcher,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
People often stereotype crypto investors as reckless, young, or greedy.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
-
In the aftermath, Islamophobia and xenophobia surged, with people from Iran and other countries in the region often stereotyped and wrongly associated with terrorism despite no evidence of wrongdoing or malicious activity.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
Let your child know that overusing harsh ingredients or layering multiple products can damage their skin—yes, even if it's being promoted by social media influencers.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
10 June 2025
-
These storms are why Coloradans overuse the cliche Don’t like the weather?—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
The Athletic is already guilty of cynically overexposing Arsenal's Max Dowman and Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
-
Applying a minor exposure adjustment will naturally boost the contrast between darker and lighter tones of your image, and a good result will be one where the solar disk does not appear under- or overexposed.—
Josh Dury,
Space.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Signs of infestation include a decline in leaf growth, boring dust in the cracks of tree bark and oozing sap, according to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.—
Cameron Macdonald,
Mercury News,
20 June 2025
-
Burnett seems bored by the conventions of the revenge gangster plot, which took over Black film and music, in the nineties.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vulgarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarize. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share