Lionize

//ˈlaɪənaɪz// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To treat (a person) as if they were important, or a celebrity. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

    "Flare-riding is one of the most exotic and exhilarating sports in existence, and those who can dare and afford to do it are amongst the most lionized men in the Galaxy."

  2. 2
    assign great social importance to wordnet
  3. 3
    To visit (a famous place) in order to revere it. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
adulateaggrandizeapotheoseapotheosizeapplaudappraise

Example

More examples

"The media loves to lionize young athletes."

Etymology

From lion + -ize.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.