as in romanticizing
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he had a tendency to idealize his heroes and believe they could do no wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of idealizing
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Neptune can blur boundaries, so be mindful of overcommitting or idealizing people who have not shown consistency yet.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Teens are already blocked from repeatedly viewing videos that could send them down dangerous content rabbit holes, such as those idealizing certain body types.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
There’s no wishful thinking that our society will stop idealizing appearance, but framing and intrinsic motivation matter.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Neptune can blur boundaries, so be mindful of overcommitting or idealizing people who have not shown consistency yet.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
Teens are already blocked from repeatedly viewing videos that could send them down dangerous content rabbit holes, such as those idealizing certain body types.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
There’s no wishful thinking that our society will stop idealizing appearance, but framing and intrinsic motivation matter.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealizing
Verb
-
Today’s teens have no shortage of movies and TV shows romanticizing what malls were like in their parents’ youth.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Today, one of Barry's favorite activities for romanticizing her outdoor space is playing darts with loved ones.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Born in 2010, Krishna was behind the scenes for a lot of the series, even idolizing Kelly Clarkson when the singer made an appearance during season 17.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Many of us grew up idolizing astronauts as the best of the best that America — and other nations — have to offer.—
Space.com Staff,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Even in the wake of the body positivity movement from the past few years, researchers are concerned about a cultural swing back to glamorizing thin-ness, pointing to the popularity – and possible misuse – of GLP-1s.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Novels like Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch depict the surreal and alienating days of early parenthood with an eye to de-glamorizing the post-partum experience.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That gap between the imagined object and the real one sharpened the launch rather than softening it.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
And in many quarters, the tone is softening.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idealizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealizing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
