Word of the Day

: May 7, 2014

lionize

verb LYE-uh-nyze

What It Means

: to treat as an object of great interest or importance

lionize in Context

In his letter to the editor, Jeremy denounced the mass media's tendency to lionize accused murderers.

"More than a music hall, the beloved nightclub in the space now occupied by The Social was a pop-culture salon. It was the place to see musicians later lionized in indie-rock-singer-songwriters such as Elliott Smith, bands such as Guided By Voices-in a room painstakingly devoted to the experience." - From an article by Jim Abbott in the Orlando Sentinel, April 1, 2014

Did You Know?

The lion is traditionally regarded as the king of beasts-perceived as brave, stately, and ferocious. Those qualities were probably in people's minds when, in the 18th century, "lion" came to be used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field. A veteran lawmaker might be considered one of the lions of the Senate; a literary lion has enjoyed a long career as a successful writer. This sense of "lion" forms the basis of "lionize," which first appeared in English in the early 19th century.