demonize

verb

de·​mon·​ize ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 

demonized; demonizing; demonizes

transitive verb

: 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

The 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

Violence 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

For those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.

—Gina Maranto

demonization

ˌdē-mə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

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

Examples of demonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While this discrimination subplot is baked into the material, the example of a minority being demonized, silenced and effectively neutralized from society acquires what no doubt was unanticipated relevance in light of the recent election cycle and the hot-button issue of immigration. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024

And Heller, a confidently empathetic director who can make an observant frame feel like a hug, wisely avoids traps like demonizing the child (winningly played by twins Emmett and Arleigh Snowden) or setting up McNairy’s hapless dad simply to be a marital punchline. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Musk has previously demonized taxes targeting the billionaire class. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Language around diversity, equity and inclusion has been demonized by the far right, Shead said, which is especially troublesome for Milwaukee, where a lot of work is centered around environmental justice. —Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above