demonize
verb
de·mon·ize
ˈdē-mə-ˌnīz 
demonized; demonizing; demonizes
: to portray (someone or something) as evil or as worthy of contempt or blame : vilify
But the Senate hearings have a broader purpose than exposing I.R.S. sins. They are a central element in a campaign by Congressional Republicans to demonize the tax agency, already the least loved of all Government bureaucracies.—
John M. Broder
John M. BroderThe point is not to demonize business leaders. Their reasons for not hiring make eminent sense, given the incentives of the marketplace and the imperative to remain competitive.—Zachary Karabell
Zachary KarabellViolence in the media has become the whipping boy of choice in these hypocritical times. It's easier to demonize a movie screen than to deal with the thorny issues of crime, racism, drugs, poverty and gun control.—Peter Travers
Peter TraversFor those who would forge a new environmental ethic, there is a constant temptation to demonize technology and deify nature.—Gina Maranto
Gina Maranto
demonization
noun
plural demonizations
In the Washington of Clinton and Gingrich, Dole and Buchanan, … the demonization of one's political foes has reached an epic frenzy.
—Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Stryker McGuire and David Ansen
Examples of demonize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But surely demonizing immigrants and racial minorities — day after day, year after year — makes violence against them more likely to occur.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
But politicians who score points by demonizing, pundits who profit off outrage and citizens who spread toxic narratives online all contribute to a climate where violence becomes easier to imagine.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Anywhere from people who will come to support free speech to people who will demonize you for having an opinion that 50% of the population believes in.
—Greg Wehner , Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Centering intentions in religious conversations like these is counter to the ivory-tower culture where intentions have been demonized if not dismissed, especially in challenging conversations about issues relating to religion.
—Matthew Mayhew, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
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Jonathan Zimmerman, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
But politicians who score points by demonizing, pundits who profit off outrage and citizens who spread toxic narratives online all contribute to a climate where violence becomes easier to imagine.
—Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Anywhere from people who will come to support free speech to people who will demonize you for having an opinion that 50% of the population believes in.
—Greg Wehner , Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Centering intentions in religious conversations like these is counter to the ivory-tower culture where intentions have been demonized if not dismissed, especially in challenging conversations about issues relating to religion.
—Matthew Mayhew, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demonize
Cite this Entry
“Demonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demonize. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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