mythologize

verb

my·​thol·​o·​gize mi-ˈthä-lə-ˌjīz 

mythologized; mythologizing

transitive verb

1

obsolete : to explain the mythological significance of

2

: to build a myth around : mythicize

intransitive verb

1

: to relate, classify, and explain myths

2

: to create or perpetuate myths

mythologizer noun

Examples of mythologize in a Sentence

a politician who has been mythologized by his supporters

Recent Examples on the Web

By the time the work finally reached readers, the writer was a countercultural icon, and his past had been mythologized enough to give the story context. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2024

The Swiss fight for independence against the Austrian Hapsburgs is mythologized in director Nick Hamm’s throwback take on the eponymous folk hero. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024

And those three figures are continuously mythologized and eulogized. —Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 7 Sep. 2024

Flying cars have been mythologized by sci-fi, featuring in movies from The Fifth Element to Blade Runner as a symbol of the future. —Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 28 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French mythologiser, from mythologie mythology + -iser -ize

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1