overidealize

verb

over·​ide·​al·​ize ˌō-vər-ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌlīz 

overidealized; overidealizing

transitive verb

: to attribute unrealistically ideal characteristics to (something or someone)

tended to overidealize his mother

overidealizing the past

… the documentary … focuses on creating a complete picture of the sometimes overidealized author to show her for the complicated woman she was.

—Karen Shade

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above