aggrandize

verb

ag·​gran·​dize ə-ˈgran-ˌdīz 

 also  ˈa-grən-

aggrandized; aggrandizing

transitive verb

1

: to make great or greater : increase, enlarge

aggrandize an estate

2

: to make appear great or greater : praise highly

3

: to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of

exploited the situation to aggrandize himself

aggrandizement

ə-ˈgran-dəz-mənt 

-ˌdīz-

 also  ˌa-grən-ˈdīz-

noun

aggrandizer

ə-ˈgran-ˌdī-zər 

 also  ˈa-grən-

noun

Did you know?

Aggrandize is a grand word, and we don’t just mean that in praise. The word literally traces back to the Latin adjective grandis, meaning "grand," and it has enhanced the English language for over three centuries. Nowadays, aggrandize is often paired with self (either the word or the prefix: to "aggrandize oneself" or to "be self-aggrandizing" is to glorify oneself, or to intently pursue power, wealth, and the like. It's of course great to take pride in a job well done, but we stan those who keep it real—after all, not every hit can be a grand slam.

Synonyms

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

Examples of aggrandize in a Sentence

a movie that aggrandizes the bad guys and makes the cops look like dopes

a generous grant, enabling the library to significantly aggrandize its collection

Recent Examples on the Web

All of the usual tricks he’s employed to aggrandize himself and avoid accountability throughout his career are laid bare here. —Sarah Kurchak, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024

Dennie’s book is best read as a critique of a court that seems hellbent on aggrandizing its own unaccountable power to decide partisan issues at the expense of the other branches of government and the American people. —Kenneth W. MacK, Washington Post, 19 July 2024

The Supreme Court, in eviscerating decades of administrative law, running roughshod over women’s privacy rights and impeding the federal government’s power to regulate securities law, has aggrandized more power to itself than any court in history. —Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 1 July 2024

The project of applying modern standards to our forebears to aggrandize ourselves has also taken aim at some of the giants of Western political history. —Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed (with assimilation of the ending to -ize) from French agrandiss-, stem of agrandir, going back to Old French, from a-, verb-forming prefix (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + -grandir, verbal derivative of grand "large, great," going back to Latin grandis "fully grown, large, great" — more at grand entry 1

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

aggrandize

verb

ag·​gran·​dize ə-ˈgran-ˌdīz 

 also  ˈag-rən-

aggrandized; aggrandizing

: to make great or greater (as in power, wealth, or reputation)

aggrandizement

ə-ˈgran-dəz-mənt 

-ˌdīz-

 also  ˌag-rən-ˈdīz-mənt

noun

aggrandizer noun