lionize
verb
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Across time and across cultures—as evidenced from Chauvet-Pont d’Arc’s paintings to The Lion King—lions have captured people’s imaginations. Though the big cats themselves are fascinatingly complex, it’s perhaps no surprise that humans have long projected qualities of bravery and regality upon the proverbial “king of the beasts.” It is precisely those and similar admirable qualities that led, in the 18th century, to lion being used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field, as in “lion of the Senate,” or “literary lion.” This sense of lion imbues the verb lionize, which first appeared in English in the early 19th century to apply to acts of treating someone as, perhaps, deserving of roaring applause.
Examples of lionize in a Sentence
Sarah Scott, Parents, 19 Mar. 2025
Long before RuPaul lionized drag queens in mainstream culture, this gender-bending, all-male ballet troupe was representing in the dance world — one fouetté (and false eyelash) at a time.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025
There are so many people out there obsessed with what's happening, obsessed with him, lionize him.
—Katie Drummond, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2025
The youngest to accomplish something are often lionized, and impatience sets in if success is seen to take too long.
—Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lionize
Cite this Entry
“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lionize. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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