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demonize
[ dee-muh-nahyz ]
verb (used with object)
- to misrepresent (someone or something) as thoroughly evil or contemptible; malign:
He’s grown used to demonizing his opponents, replacing their true identities and arguments with easily despised caricatures.
“There’s no reason to demonize plastic,” she said, “but I agree that it’s grossly overused.”
- to subject to the influence of demons.
demonize
/ ˈ徱ːəˌԲɪ /
verb
- to make into or like a demon
- to subject to demonic influence
- to mark out or describe as evil or culpable
the technique of demonizing the enemy in the run-up to war
Other Word Forms
- ·Dz···پDz [dee-m, uh, -nahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n], noun
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
The abuse seems to be coming from all sides, from people who want to demonize either Metcalf or Anthony.
He stood with the demonized so that the demonizing would stop and with the disposable, so that the day would come when we stop throwing people away.
"I do not believe in demonizing the criminal justice system. It's a necessary entity. But God, it hurts. And God, I'm still scared."
Shilling, 53, said she has been shocked and mystified by Trump’s threats, but never demonized by her Canadian neighbors.
Once literacy censors realized racial animosity wasn’t working, tactics shifted to demonizing queer literature, particularly books about the trans experience.
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Related Words
- diabolize
More About Demonize
does demonize mean?
To demonize something or someone is to mark or describe it as evil, as one would a demon.
When something or someone is figuratively demonized like this, it is treated as undesirable or disrespectful. Being is demonized in this way often means being avoided or ignored by certain groups.
Literally, to demonize is to turn something into a demon or to make it demonlike, as in The wizard spoke the spell that would transform a frog into a demon, demonizing it to create a powerful weapon.
To demonize is also to subject demonic, or evil, influence, as in A mage demonized me, and now a demon torments my every waking hour. Some cultures and religions believe demons exist, while others believe they are only fictional characters.
Example: The senator was so demonized for his beliefs that he could not win reelection.
Where does demonize come from?
The first records of the term demonize come from around 1810. It comes from the Medieval Latin 岹DzԾ. The suffix –ize creates verbs with the meaning “to render” or “to make” out of nouns.
An example of a group that believed in demons as actual beings were the townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1600s. They believed so strongly in demons that some residents became convinced that fellow residents had demonized them, directing demons to torment them. The Salem witch trials were the trials of residents accused of being witches and directing demons to torment other townspeople. The period is now seen as one of massive hysteria and wrongful arrests and execution of innocent people.
Did you know … ?
are some other forms related to demonize?
- demonization (noun)
- demonizing (adjective, verb)
- demonlike (adjective)
are some synonyms for demonize?
are some words that share a root or word element with demonize?
are some words that often get used in discussing demonize?
How is demonize used in real life?
Demonize is generally used in a figurative sense.
People demonize people and then they demonize anybody who sees anything positive in someone whose been demonized
— ye (@kanyewest)
Fascinating to watch people demonize optimism. Happiness for others scares many in search of it for themselves
— Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)
Side-by-side images of books demonizing Japan during the trade war in the 80s and modern books demonizing China.
— 영노 (@yeongno3)
Try using demonize!
Which of the following is NOT a synonym for demonize?
A. celebrate
B. criticize
C. diminish
D. disparage
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