as in biography
disapproving
a book about someone's life that makes it seem better than it really is or was
a hagiography of the leader written by one of his closest confidants
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Recent Examples of hagiography
Some of the hagiographies of Francis were written shortly after his death in 1226.
—
Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
But Burns and Botstein don’t give them the hagiography treatment.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2025
Evaluations for top performers read as hagiographies.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
But rarely does the film rise above hagiography.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hagiography
Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
But Burns and Botstein don’t give them the hagiography treatment.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2025
Evaluations for top performers read as hagiographies.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
But rarely does the film rise above hagiography.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hagiography
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hagiography
Noun
-
Writer Hugo Vickers writes in the upcoming biography Queen Elizabeth II that Philip underwent heart surgery on March 1, 2021, shortly before his death and almost did not make it.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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With that element a strong part of her biography, Lilly was interested in sponsoring the event after the producer, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, reached out.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Look out for talks by Sarah Wynn-Williams on her bestselling memoir lifting the lid on her time at Facebook; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall discussing his campaign to get people to eat more fibre; and Anthony Horowitz talking about his latest gripping thriller with author Joe Haddow.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
26 Mar. 2026
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In her memoir, Steinem delves into a childhood spent cycling through books, going on road trips with her traveling salesman father, and caring for her journalist mother amid ongoing mental health struggles.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hagiography.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hagiography. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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