Synonyms

glorify

American

[glawr-uh-fahy, glohr-] / ˈglɔr əˌfaɪ, ˈgloʊr- /

verb (used with object)

to cause to be or treat as being more splendid, excellent, etc., than would normally be considered.
to honor with praise, admiration, or worship; extol.

Synonyms:

celebrate, worship, praise, venerate
to make glorious; invest with glory.
to praise the glory of (God), especially as an act of worship.

glorify British

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to make glorious
to make more splendid; adorn
to worship, exalt, or adore
to extol
to cause to seem more splendid or imposing than reality

"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

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Etymology

Origin of glorify

1300–50; Middle English < Old French glorifier < Late Latin glōrificāre. See glory, -fy

Explanation

To glorify is to praise or honor something or someone to an extreme degree. If you like someone, you might compliment or praise them, but glorifying takes that a step further. When something is glorified, it is praised to the highest degree possible. It seems right that great people like Martin Luther King and Gandhi are glorified. It can seem odd when athletes are glorified just for playing a game. Often this word is used in a negative sense. For example, a movie with lots of explosions could be said "to glorify violence."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Insp Pete Musgrave says he is aware of social media being used to "glorify" thefts and understands the frustration of victims.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

“The campaign to glorify him,” wrote one biographer in 1988, “has surpassed fanatic religious fervor. The North Korean ‘sun of the nation’ shines both day and night, and it is hard to escape his ubiquity.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

And more than that, the name of the law, the Epstein Transparency Act, frustrates her as she said it continues to glorify an abuser and his actions.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Mussolini constructed the Arch of the Philaeni to glorify fascist Italy’s colonial projects in North Africa.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2025

It is important to keep in mind, though, that many rappers and hip-hop artists do not aim to glorify or romanticize gangsta life or culture.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023