demonize
verb
de·mon·ize
ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 
demonized; demonizing; demonizes
: to portray (someone or something) as evil or as worthy of contempt or blame : vilify
But the Senate hearings have a broader purpose than exposing I.R.S. sins. They are a central element in a campaign by Congressional Republicans to demonize the tax agency, already the least loved of all Government bureaucracies.—
John M. Broder
John M. BroderThe point is not to demonize business leaders. Their reasons for not hiring make eminent sense, given the incentives of the marketplace and the imperative to remain competitive.—Zachary Karabell
Zachary KarabellViolence in the media has become the whipping boy of choice in these hypocritical times. It's easier to demonize a movie screen than to deal with the thorny issues of crime, racism, drugs, poverty and gun control.—Peter Travers
Peter TraversFor those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.—Gina Maranto
Gina Maranto
demonization
noun
plural demonizations
In the Washington of Clinton and Gingrich, Dole and Buchanan, … the demonization of one's political foes has reached an epic frenzy.
—Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Examples of demonize in a Sentence
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The myth about Appomattox thus became a key element of Lost Cause orthodoxy, a form of propaganda that glorified slavery and the Confederacy and demonized Reconstruction.
— Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Since the adoption by the United Nations of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, no fewer than 186 countries have signed an international treaty that both demonizes the traditional use of coca and calls for the complete eradication of the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
On the right, there are those who are demonizing federal judges for considering the constitutionality of how Trump is going about achieving his goals.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
President Trump is a polarizing figure, demonized in some quarters as is anyone who aligns themselves with him as Elon Musk has.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
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Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Since the adoption by the United Nations of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, no fewer than 186 countries have signed an international treaty that both demonizes the traditional use of coca and calls for the complete eradication of the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
On the right, there are those who are demonizing federal judges for considering the constitutionality of how Trump is going about achieving his goals.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
President Trump is a polarizing figure, demonized in some quarters as is anyone who aligns themselves with him as Elon Musk has.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demonize
Cite this Entry
“Demonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demonize. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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