demonize

[ dee-muh-nahyz ]
See synonyms for demonize on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),de·mon·ized, de·mon·iz·ing.
  1. to misrepresent (someone or something) as thoroughly evil or contemptible; malign: He’s grown used to demonizing his opponents, replacing their true identities and arguments with easily despised caricatures.“There’s no reason to demonize plastic,” she said, “but I agree that it’s grossly overused.”

  2. to subject to the influence of demons.

Origin of demonize

1
First recorded in 1815–25; from Medieval Latin daemonizāre, equivalent to Late Latin daemon demon + -izāre -ize
  • Also especially British, de·mon·ise .

Other words from demonize

  • de·mon·i·za·tion [dee-muh-nahy-zey-shuhn], /ˌdi mə naɪˈzeɪ ʃən/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use demonize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for demonize

demonize

demonise

/ (ˈdiːməˌnaɪz) /


verb(tr)
  1. to make into or like a demon

  2. to subject to demonic influence

  1. to mark out or describe as evil or culpable: the technique of demonizing the enemy in the run-up to war

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012