demonize

American  

[dee-muh-nahyz] / ˈdi məˌnaɪz /

especially British, demonise

verb (used with object)

• demonizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• demonized,
  past participle,  past
• demonizing
  present participle

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.

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demonize British  

/ ˈdiːməˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to make into or like a demon

2. to subject to demonic influence

3. to mark out or describe as evil or culpable

   the technique of demonizing the enemy in the run-up to war

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Usage

What does demonize mean? To demonize something or someone is to mark or describe it as evil, as one would a demon. When something or someone is figuratively demonized like this, it is treated as undesirable or disrespectful. Being is demonized in this way often means being avoided or ignored by certain groups. Literally, to demonize is to turn something into a demon or to make it demonlike, as in The wizard spoke the spell that would transform a frog into a demon, demonizing it to create a powerful weapon. To demonize is also to subject demonic, or evil, influence, as in A mage demonized me, and now a demon torments my every waking hour. Some cultures and religions believe demons exist, while others believe they are only fictional characters. Example: The senator was so demonized for his beliefs that he could not win reelection.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• demonization
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• demonizing
  present
• demonized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• demonize
  simple
• demonizes
  simple
• have demonized
  perfect
• has demonized
  perfect
• am demonizing
  progressive
• are demonizing
  progressive
• is demonizing
  progressive
• have been demonizing
  perfect progressive
• has been demonizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• demonized
  simple
• had demonized
  perfect
• was demonizing
  progressive
• were demonizing
  progressive
• had been demonizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will demonize
  simple
• will have demonized
  perfect
• will be demonizing
  progressive
• will have been demonizing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of demonize

First recorded in 1815–25; from Medieval Latin daemonizāre, equivalent to Late Latin daemon demon + -izāre -ize

Explanation

To demonize someone is to characterize them as evil or wicked, whether or not they actually are. It's distressingly common in politics for one party to demonize members of the opposing party. This verb literally means "to make into a demon.” Demon means "evil spirit," so when you demonize someone, you portray them that way. This tactic shows up in propaganda and politics all the time. If you’re running for class president, don’t demonize your opponent just to get votes — instead, engage in cordial debate about the issues.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

demonize demonizes demonized demonizing

“What really stands out more than any other civil rights division is how much they demonize and personalize,” said Christy Lopez, a former attorney in the division who is now a professor at Georgetown Law.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Flipping the telescope to the large end is not unique to this particular cohort, nor is it anything to criticize or demonize.

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026

He also knows how to be comfortable in that space, and still find ways to humanize himself to an audience trying desperately to demonize him.

From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2026

What’s needed is a pragmatic and courageous paradigm shift, one that begins with naming and recognizing the contemporary libels used to demonize Jews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026

The tendency to sentimentalize nature has, in our time, largely taken the place of the old tendency to demonize and spiritize it.

From Ways of Nature by John Burroughs

Except for Iran, of course, which he alternately bombs, demonizes and flatters.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

Real-estate groups said the plan unfairly demonizes their industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The report recommends that students acknowledge their differences more openly — and urges school administrators to help them overcome black-and-white thinking that demonizes other viewpoints.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 27, 2023

Art habitually heightens, elides, romanticizes, demonizes, cheats and lies to get what it wants, but we tend to believe it when the art, as here, is good.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2021

But if an economist is always confident in his judgments, or if he demonizes those who reach opposite conclusions, you know that he is not to be trusted.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2014

Although politics in Israel is at least as polarized as in the U.S., he hasn’t demonized the other side and has mostly avoided personal attacks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

They had now been in and out of courtrooms, in city council meetings; they had been demonized by friends and local activists.

From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2026

Queer and drag culture have come into mainstream pop and youth culture on the one hand, but remain demonized on the other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025

Then a few years later everyone is over the panic, the technology is normal and the next thing becomes demonized.

From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2025

Two of the most potent social campaigns of the past half-century were the civil rights movement and the feminist movement, which demonized discrimination against blacks and women, respectively.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

You can empathize with your friend without demonizing your own position or patronizing her by saying everything will be OK.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026

“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the NRA retorted, to Essayli.

From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2026

Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2026

"Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens," it said on X.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

“Why are we demonizing this man for speaking his mind?”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro