Idealize
//aɪˈdɪəlaɪz// verb
verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To regard something as ideal. transitive
- 2 form ideals wordnet
- 3 To conceive or form an ideal. intransitive
"People tell me that I wouldn't be so anxious for a lover if I knew the kinds of problems which such a relationship brings, to which I reply that, yes, perhaps I am idealizing somewhat, but basically I know that people aren't plastic, and that where there are human beings there are problems, and, all the same, I think it can be worth it in the long run if there is honesty on both sides."
- 4 consider or render as ideal wordnet
- 5 To portray using idealization. transitive
Example
More examples"Young men make great mistakes in life; for one thing, they idealize love too much."
Etymology
From ideal + -ize. Compare French idéaliser.
More for "idealize"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.