lionize

verb

li·on·ize ˈlī-ə-ˌnīz

lionized; lionizing

Synonyms of lionize next

transitive verb

: to treat as an object of great interest or importance

lionization

ˌlī-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun

lionizer

ˈlī-ə-ˌnī-zər

noun

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Across time and across cultures—as evidenced from Chauvet-Pont d’Arc’s paintings to The Lion King—lions have captured people’s imaginations. Though the big cats themselves are fascinatingly complex, it’s perhaps no surprise that humans have long projected qualities of bravery and regality upon the proverbial “king of the beasts.” It is precisely those and similar admirable qualities that led, in the 18th century, to lion being used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field, as in “lion of the Senate,” or “literary lion.” This sense of lion imbues the verb lionize, which first appeared in English in the early 19th century to apply to acts of treating someone as, perhaps, deserving of roaring applause.

Examples of lionize in a Sentence

She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.

Recent Examples on the Web As badly as he had been treated at the end of his life, in death, Greeley was lionized for his accomplishments. —

Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024 There’s always backlash; history lionizes you as a hero, but until then a lot of people castigate you as a villain. —

Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024 Although the United States refused to send its athletes to Moscow in 1980 after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Russian writers such as Boris Pasternak and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn continued to be lionized as voices of conscience. —

Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 June 2023 Trump’s allies have wasted no time in lionizing him and using the attempt on his life as campaign fodder. —

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lionize

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lionize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.