demonize

verb

de·​mon·​ize ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 

demonized; demonizing; demonizes

transitive verb

: to portray (someone or something) as evil or as worthy of contempt or blame : vilify

But the Senate hearings have a broader purpose than exposing I.R.S. sins. They are a central element in a campaign by Congressional Republicans to demonize the tax agency, already the least loved of all Government bureaucracies.

—John M. Broder

The point is not to demonize business leaders. Their reasons for not hiring make eminent sense, given the incentives of the marketplace and the imperative to remain competitive.

—Zachary Karabell

Violence in the media has become the whipping boy of choice in these hypocritical times. It's easier to demonize a movie screen than to deal with the thorny issues of crime, racism, drugs, poverty and gun control.

—Peter Travers

For those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.

—Gina Maranto

demonization

ˌdē-mə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

plural demonizations

In the Washington of Clinton and Gingrich, Dole and Buchanan, … the demonization of one's political foes has reached an epic frenzy.

—Stryker McGuire and David Ansen

Examples of demonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His Hindu nationalist party has demonized the Muslim minority, a source of social ferment that has raised fears of instability. —Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 7 June 2024

Dangers of fear mongering Critics and advocates say the fear mongering underway is vastly disproportionate to the reality of crime in New York City — and that the more migrants are demonized, the more likely violent encounters like the one with Sliwa get more frequent. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2024

Even worse, some politicians demonize immigrants seeking the security and opportunity citizenship provides. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2024

Even though the media demonized her throughout her ordeal, Knox has worked as a journalist herself in the years since her release from prison in an attempt to transform her platform into something purposeful. —Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above