fetishize

verb

fe·​tish·​ize ˈfe-ti-ˌshīz How to pronounce fetishize (audio)
also ˈfē-
fetishized; fetishizing
Synonyms of fetishizenext

transitive verb

: to make a fetish of : treat or regard with fetishism

Examples of fetishize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Reske appears uninterested in fetishizing or recreating his past, and that’s probably for the best. David Glickman, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026 Indeed, in many ways, West’s performatively anti-white, unpatriotic, and cosmopolitan version of polyamory is the blue-state mirror image of tradwifery, which, in its various forms, can fetishize whiteness, nostalgic Americana, and (often Christian) nationalism. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2026 To fetishize the martial spirit, however, would miss the broader effort feeding it. Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026 Conductors often fetishize the opening bars of this opera, their squirmy alternation of silence and piquant dissonance. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fetishize

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetishize was in 1884

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Cite this Entry

“Fetishize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetishize. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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