anoint

verb

ə-ˈnȯint 

anointed; anointing; anoints

transitive verb

1

: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance

2

a

: to apply oil to as part of a religious ceremony

The priest anointed the sick.

b

: to choose by or as if by divine election

anoint him as his successor

also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment

Critics have anointed her as an important new literary figure.

anointer noun

anointment

ə-ˈnȯint-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• bedaub
• besmear
• daub
• smear

Examples of anoint in a Sentence

The magazine anointed her the most popular actress of the year.

anoint the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection

Recent Examples on the Web

Not because Harris was anointed the next emperor with no clothes. —Ted Trimpa, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024

The nation’s most influential newspaper has essentially anointed Newsom as the leader of resistance to Trump, which is not a bad start on a 2028 campaign for the presidency, especially now that Vice President Kamala Harris is out of the way — if, indeed, that’s Newsom’s unstated ambition. —Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024

Maggie Rogers, 30, has come a long way since Pharrell visited her NYU Master Class in 2016 and anointed her for stardom. —Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

But Obama canceled Constellation in 2010, and in 2017 Trump anointed the Artemis program, with the goal of finally sending people back to the moon and paving the way for exploring Mars. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enoint, past participle of enoindre, from Latin inunguere, from in- + unguere to smear — more at ointment

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

anoint

verb

ə-ˈnȯint 

1

: to rub over with oil or an oily substance

2

: to put oil on as part of a religious ceremony

anointer noun

anointment

-mənt 

noun