romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈman-tə-ˌsīz 

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

rō-ˌman-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

rə-

noun

Synonyms

• glamorize
• glamourize
• glamour (up)
• glorify
• idealize

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

Both the Lolita book and film have been heavily criticized for decades for romanticizing pedophilia. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 17 June 2025

People often romanticize the idea of passive income. —Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025

Sierra’s global community network, The Local Mystic, helps women deepen their spiritual studies, romanticize their lives, and build a community of like-minded souls. —Sierra Vandervort, Outside Online, 10 May 2025

The report also argues that the Lost Cause mythology — or the idea that romanticizes slavey and claims the Civil War was a fight to preserve Southern culture — has been central to Trump and his supporters. —Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for romanticize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

romanticize

verb

ro·​man·​ti·​cize rō-ˈmant-ə-ˌsīz 

romanticized; romanticizing

1

: to make romantic : show in a romantic way

2

: to have romantic ideas

romanticization

-ˌmant-ə-sə-ˈzā-shən 

noun