glorify

verb

glo·​ri·​fy ˈglȯr-ə-ˌfī 

glorified; glorifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise, or admiration

b

: to elevate to celestial glory

2

: to light up brilliantly

Chandeliers glorified the entire room.

3

a

: to represent as glorious : extol

a song glorifying romantic love

b

: to cause to be or seem to be better than the actual condition

the new position is just a glorified version of the old stockroom job

4

: to give glory to (as in worship)

glorification

ˌglȯr-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

glorifier

ˈglȯr-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

• aggrandize
• canonize
• deify
• dignify
• elevate
• ennoble
• enshrine
• ensky
• enthrone
• exalt
• magnify

Examples of glorify in a Sentence

Glorify and give thanks to God.

a number of big names were recruited in the hopes that their presence would glorify the university's school of medicine in the eyes of the medical world

Recent Examples on the Web

This may be glorified B-movie material about Honor and Sacrifice and American Know-How, but Hanks’s decency and quiet authority sell the damn thing very nicely. 23. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024

The posts glorified eating disorders and extreme thinness. —Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024

Dahmer, similarly, was accused of exploiting the murders in a fictionalized way that some believed even glorified him as a killer in some ways. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024

In the days following January 6, Meta, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch suspended former president Donald Trump over posts the companies said glorified the violence at the Capitol. —Makena Kelly, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English glorifien, from Anglo-French glorifier, from Late Latin glorificare, from gloria

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

glorify

verb

glo·​ri·​fy ˈglōr-ə-ˌfī 

ˈglȯr-

glorified; glorifying

1

: worship entry 2 sense 1, adore

2

: to praise highly

3

: to present in a highly often overly favorable light

glorify war

glorification

ˌglōr-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

ˌglȯr-

noun

glorifier

ˈglōr-ə-fī(-ə)r 

ˈglȯr-

noun