feminize

especially British, fem·i·nise

[fem-uh-nahyz]

verb (used with or without object)

feminized, feminizing 

1. to make or become feminine.

feminize

/ ˈfɛmɪˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to make or become feminine

2. to cause (a male animal) to develop female characteristics

Other Word Forms

• feminization noun
• defeminization noun
• defeminize verb (used with object)
• overfeminize verb
• unfeminize verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of feminize¹

1645–55; < Latin fēmin ( a ) woman + -ize

Example Sentences

It is fascinating that recent movies that attempt to grapple with contemporary sociopolitical issues often feminize the threat: the #MeToo cancel culture fable “Tár” or this year’s academia scandal film “After the Hunt.”

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In the new age of manliness, sensitivity is feminizing.

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But it's feeding off a recent trend, fed by predatory social media influencers, that conflates masculinity with punishing self-discipline, the kind that rejects all pleasure and comfort as a feminizing — and thereby evil — force.

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Instrumental in feminizing the occupation, Beecher argued that pious young women should be the ones to do the moral work of teaching — in no small part because they provided cheap labor.

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When Carlson talks about “telling the truth” about the world, one thing he means is how white working-class men have been disrespected by the feminized elites.

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