fetishize

American  

[fet-i-shahyz] / ˈfɛt ɪˌʃaɪz /

especially British, fetishise

verb (used with object)

fetishized, fetishizing

1. to make a fetish of.

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fetishize British  

/ ˈfɛtɪʃˌaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to be excessively or irrationally devoted to (an object, activity, etc)

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Other Word Forms

• fetishization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of fetishize

fetish + -ize

Example Sentences

We’ve been taught to fetishize our suffering and villainize our joy — that working toward a long-term goal should feel like work.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

On this week’s Amicus podcast, he explained to Dahlia Lithwick that the inclination to fetishize that which can be justified legally has a way of opening the door to atrocities that cannot be tolerated.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

We fetishize secrecy in American cooking — especially the kind passed down through generations.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

We fetishize the tax code and its deductions and credits and refunds.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2022

“I was resolute that the film should be about the victims’ experience and not fetishize the criminal,” says Morris, noting Leviev surely suffers his own private form of punishment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2022