hagiographical
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
A biography or life story can be described as hagiographical when it is so flattering to the person that they sound like a saint. It makes you roll your eyes — unless of course the person really was a saint. The adjective hagiographical is derived from the noun hagiography, which referred originally to a story written about a Christian saint, or holy person, to express devotion and inspire faith. More recently, hagiographical has been used to describe any biography that portrays the person in glowing terms, ignoring any faults or weaknesses. A hagiographical book or movie may feature a national hero or someone greatly admired by the author or filmmaker, and is often challenged later by someone seeking to be more honest.
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.
The effect is hagiographical, but in their case, perfectly believable.
From Washington Post • Jun. 17, 2021
It’s a generous impulse, yet it makes for a somewhat uniform, hagiographical tone, which favors dignity over complexity.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 9, 2019
In addition, Hill reportedly passed a polygraph test amid the hearings and a hagiographical documentary on Hill was released in 2014.
From MSNBC • Apr. 15, 2016
The book analyzed 800 hagiographical texts, or saints’ lives, to identify the social factors at work in the canonization process.
From New York Times • Dec. 30, 2015
The Old and New Testaments are very different, so also are the canonical and hagiographical writings.
From History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology by Hurst, J. F. (John Fletcher)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
