lionize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to treat (a person) as a celebrity.
to lionize the visiting poet.
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British. to visit or exhibit the objects of interest of (a place).
verb (used without object)
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to pursue celebrities or seek their company.
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British. to visit the objects of interest of a place.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lionize
First recorded in 1800–10; lion + -ize ( def. )
Explanation
The lion is the king of beasts. To lionize someone is to see them as important as a lion. Republicans continue to lionize Ronald Reagan as their ultimate hero. The lion is a symbol of pride, strength, courage, and nobility, so when you lionize someone, you attribute to them all those marvelous traits. Many people are uncomfortable with being lionized, since being made to seem important comes with responsibilities that are sometimes a burden. After the shooting, the bystander resisted people's efforts to lionize him. He was only doing what any person would do, he protested. "Don't make me into a hero. I don't want to be lionized."
Vocabulary lists containing lionize
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
It's nice for people to support you, don't get me wrong, but we can't lionize people being in prison.
From Salon • Oct. 24, 2024
There’s also a whole bit in the courtroom of David swatting at a fly as his attorney attempts to lionize him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024
Teams are insular, us-against-the-world micro-communities, and American culture tends to lionize those who close off the rest of the world, ignore criticism and win anyway.
From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2023
His character — only referred to as Nitram, so as not to lionize the actual shooter, who remains in prison — plods through the movie like an intimidatingly oversized child.
From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2022
Friday, 3rd.—John had a letter to the pork-killing man, Mr. Armour, and he kindly sent two carriages for us, with an assistant, who was to lionize us about.
From The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : letters by Rayleigh, Clara
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.
