transfigure

American  

[trans-fig-yer, -fig-er] / trænsˈfɪg yər, -ˈfɪg ər /

verb (used with object)

transfigured, transfiguring

1. to change in outward form or appearance; transform.

   Synonyms:

   renew, transmute

2. to change so as to glorify or exalt.

---

transfigure British  

/ trænsˈfɪɡə /

verb

1. to change or cause to change in appearance

2. to become or cause to become more exalted

---

Other Word Forms

• transfigurement noun
• untransfigured adjective

Etymology

Origin of transfigure

1250–1300; Middle English transfiguren < Latin trānsfigūrāre to change in shape. See trans-, figure

Explanation

To transfigure is to change or alter something, often so that it becomes even more amazing or beautiful. That colorful mural you painted really transfigures your bedroom! Transfigure has a Latin root, transfigurare, "change the shape of." While its meaning is similar to transform, there's usually an additional sense of "make better" in transfigure. When you come home dirty and tired after a camping trip, a hot shower and clean clothes will transfigure you. And adding grated cheese, chopped basil, and a drizzle of good olive oil can transfigure a simple dish of pasta.

Example Sentences

Two of the participants transfigure their own work.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2023

These phenomena transfigure copyrights, patents, and trademarks into subjects of everyday importance.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2022

He helps transfigure the scene from a purely technical endeavor into a kind of weightless dance, a zero-gravity ballet.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2020

In the video, Ms. Gaignard sings on, unperturbed, all the while recording the experience to transfigure it into art.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2016

It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling