fetishize

[ fet-i-shahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, fet·ish·ized, fet·ish·iz·ing.

1. to make a fetish of.

fetishize

/ ˈfɛtɪʃˌaɪz /

verb

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

Derived Forms

• ˌfetishiˈzation, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fetishize¹

fetish + -ize

Example Sentences

The ways the public fetishized Lopez’s body while refusing to respect the labor she performed with it, the way people considered her work and persona trashy while Affleck’s was considered highbrow — it’s all inflected by race, class, and gender.

From Vox

The duo manages to be innovators in a bland retro-fetishizing playlist landscape.

From Washington Post

They will fetishize “sharing personal stories,” but only when the ramifications don’t interfere with the product or create interpersonal conflict.

From Time

The media industry has “fetishized objectivity,” when really the conversation should be about “the idea of fairness.”

From Digiday

If you fear or fetishize a food, the advice is to eat it so often it becomes normal and unremarkable to eat.

From Eater