lionize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to treat (a person) as a celebrity.
to lionize the visiting poet.
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British. to visit or exhibit the objects of interest of (a place).
verb (used without object)
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to pursue celebrities or seek their company.
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British. to visit the objects of interest of a place.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lionize
First recorded in 1800–10; lion + -ize ( def. )
Explanation
The lion is the king of beasts. To lionize someone is to see them as important as a lion. Republicans continue to lionize Ronald Reagan as their ultimate hero. The lion is a symbol of pride, strength, courage, and nobility, so when you lionize someone, you attribute to them all those marvelous traits. Many people are uncomfortable with being lionized, since being made to seem important comes with responsibilities that are sometimes a burden. After the shooting, the bystander resisted people's efforts to lionize him. He was only doing what any person would do, he protested. "Don't make me into a hero. I don't want to be lionized."
Vocabulary lists containing lionize
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s also a whole bit in the courtroom of David swatting at a fly as his attorney attempts to lionize him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024
They like the stories that either demonize or lionize these people.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2023
“We foolishly lionize athletes and make them heroes because they can hit a ball or catch one,” Mr. Russell once said.
From Washington Post • Jul. 31, 2022
Russia loves to lionize its literary giants, but even the mighty Russian state could not open a museum in a shared apartment with other residents still ensconced in it.
From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2021
"I am afraid you are trying to lionize me," he jested.
From Nedra by McCutcheon, George Barr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
