romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce romanticize (audio)
rə-
romanticized; romanticizing

transitive verb

: to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic
romanticize the past

intransitive verb

1
: to hold romantic ideas
2
: to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way
romanticization noun

Examples of romanticize in a Sentence

He has romanticized notions of army life. a romanticized view of politics We were romanticizing about the past.
Recent Examples on the Web Maybe the current resurgence of bows in fashion stems from the desire to reclaim this narrative while simultaneously romanticizing our lives in turbulent times. Romany Williams, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024 Such images were tools of propaganda that romanticized the Caribbean as a utopia after decades of associating the region with savagery and malady. Shameekia Shantel Johnson, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2024 Embedded in those songs, at least, was the idea that alcoholism should not be an aspirational thing, even if the songwriters’ wicked wit did have a way of romanticizing it. Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2024 As the United States and the United Kingdom shifted rapidly from rural, agrarian societies to urban and industrial economies during the 19th century, the transformation played out in paintings and literature that romanticized and idealized nature for the newly urbanized classes. Anne Wallentine, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for romanticize 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'romanticize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of romanticize was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near romanticize

Cite this Entry

“Romanticize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/romanticize. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

romanticize

verb
ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈmant-ə-ˌsīz How to pronounce romanticize (audio)
romanticized; romanticizing
1
: to make romantic : show in a romantic way
2
: to have romantic ideas
romanticization noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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