demonize

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Medieval Latin daemonizō, from daemon +‎ -izō. Compare Ancient Greek δαιμονίζομαι (daimonízomai, to be possessed by a demon), from δαίμων (daímōn, demon). By surface analysis, demon +‎ -ize.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdiːmənaɪz/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Verb

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demonize (third-person singular simple present demonizes, present participle demonizing, simple past and past participle demonized)

  1. (transitive) To turn into a demon.
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.
    • 2020 September 1, Peter Baker, “Trump has a long history of language that incites and demonizes.”, in The New York Times[1]:
      President Trump has seized on the response in the streets to police brutality against Black men and women to bolster his re-election campaign, employing provocative and sometimes incendiary language and images to incite his followers, demonize his opponents or both.
    • 2022 October 3, Michelle Goldberg, “Boys and Men Are in Crisis Because Society Is”, in The New York Times[2]:
      He calls for a “massive, urgent recruitment effort,” which is a fine idea, but one that’s likely to be futile unless we stop demonizing teachers and start paying them fairly.
    • 2024 May 11, Isabella Sylvester, “18 Things Society Has Demonized That Should Be Considered Normal”, in MSN[3]:
      Many people disagree with several things society has normalized, some of which are even demonized. Frustratingly, attaching a stigma to perfectly reasonable things makes people feel attacked when they publicly do them.

Synonyms

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  • (represent as evil or diabolic): vilify

Derived terms

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Translations

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Galician

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Verb

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demonize

  1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of demonizar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative