feminize

[ fem-uh-nahyz ]

/ ˈfɛm əˌnaɪz /

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verb (used with or without object), fem·i·nized, fem·i·niz·ing.

to make or become feminine.

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Also especially British, fem·i·nise .

Origin of feminize

1645–55; <Latin fēmin(a) woman + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM feminize

fem·i·ni·za·tion, nounde·fem·i·ni·za·tion, nounde·fem·i·nize, verb (used with object), de·fem·i·nized, de·fem·i·niz·ing.o·ver·fem·i·nize, verb, o·ver·fem·i·nized, o·ver·fem·i·niz·ing.

un·fem·i·nize, verb (used with object), un·fem·i·nized, un·fem·i·niz·ing.

Words nearby feminize

feminine of center, feminine rhyme, femininity, feminism, feminist, feminize, Fem Lib, femme, femme de chambre, femme fatale, femmy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use feminize in a sentence

She points to the fact that female emojis and Lego characters are often distinguished from their male counterparts by the addition of bigger lips, longer lashes or other feminizing features.
Americans tend to assume imaginary faces are male|Maria Temming|January 27, 2022|Science News
Eastwood has his critics from the left, but no one’s ever going to accuse him of being feminized.
What Clint Eastwood can teach Americans about the lost art of persuasion|Alyssa Rosenberg|September 27, 2021|Washington Post
Roman emperors often feminized their appearances in portraits, signifying power and to advance their political agendas.
The Gender Revolution|Daniel Malloy|March 21, 2021|Ozy
Supporters of the ban speculate that women distract men and that they may even “feminize,” or weaken the military.
Overdue: Why It’s Time to End the U.S. Military’s Female Combat Ban|Megan H. MacKenzie|October 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Ann Coulter is often referred to as “Mann-coulter” on political blogs in an effort to de-feminize her.
What Do Dems Have Against Women?|Kirsten Powers|October 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
We have the moon-god attempting to feminize an unfortunate enemy.
Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria|Lewis Spence
The argument that the presence of women tends to "feminize" the universities is, he grants, more serious.
The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for feminize

feminize

feminise

/ (ˈfɛmɪˌnaɪz) /

verb

to make or become feminine

to cause (a male animal) to develop female characteristics

Derived forms of feminize

feminization or feminisation, noun

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