fanaticize

especially British, fa·nat·i·cise

[fuh-nat-uh-sahyz]

verb (used with object)

fanaticized, fanaticizing 

1. to make fanatical.

verb (used without object)

fanaticized, fanaticizing 

1. to act with or show fanaticism.

fanaticize

/ fəˈnætɪˌsaɪz /

verb

1. to make or become fanatical

Word History and Origins

Origin of fanaticize¹

First recorded in 1705–15; fanatic + -ize

Example Sentences

“You can fanaticize about achieving our goals with tanks and planes or through the principles of Gandhi,” said Mr. Velmakin.

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“But it is wrong to link in some way the internal corporate processes of Ekho Moskvy with criticism of Putin or fanaticize about the possibility of it being taken over.”

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The ferocious and misleading propaganda employed to fanaticize the populace as an element of military strategy seemed to sweep its own authors from their feet and drag the prisoners through many months of torture toward a time and place set for their execution by other politicians in the drunken stupor of their power.

Read more on Project Gutenberg

When To Use

What does fanaticize mean?

To fanaticize someone is to make them into a fanatic—a person with an extreme and often unquestioning enthusiasm, devotion, or zeal for something, such as a religion, political stance, or cause. It can also mean to become a fanatic.Much less commonly, it can mean to act in such a way—to engage in fanaticism or fanatical behavior.Fanatic is typically used negatively to imply that someone takes such devotion too far, as in They’re considered religious fanatics due to their extreme practices. Close synonyms are extremist, radical, and zealot.Fanaticize is most commonly used in reference to this sense of the word fanatic. When it is, a close synonym is radicalize.But fanatic can also be used in a way that’s not negative but instead simply refers to someone who is extreme in their devotion or enthusiasm for an interest or hobby. For example, calling someone a sports fanatic means they’re an extremely enthusiastic fan of sports. In fact, the word fan is a shortening of fanatic. Fanaticize can be used in reference to this sense of fanatic, but it’s much less common.Example: Followers of the movement are being fanaticized by online propaganda.