as in admired
to treat (someone) as a very important and famous person
She was lionized everywhere after her novel won the Pulitzer Prize.
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Recent Examples of lionized
Greenspan was the rare celebrity among central bankers, lionized for his economic stewardship in the 1990s — and a reputation tarnished by the global financial crisis of 2008.
—
June 22,
NPR,
22 June 2026
Jay Cooke, who had once been lionized for his role in financing the Union victory, was attacked in the press and accused of cheating ordinary Americans out of their savings.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Nursing has long been lionized as one of the most stable and safe professions for young graduates to pursue.
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Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
His work here should be respected, not lionized.
—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
To see that kind of big-budget artistry properly lionized, given some of the duds the Academy has recognized in recent years—I’m looking at you, Green Book—felt like a true triumph.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Barry Goldwater thundered against centralized power, Ronald Reagan lionized hands-off government and liberty, and even Richard Nixon respected certain limits.
—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
June 22,
NPR,
22 June 2026
Jay Cooke, who had once been lionized for his role in financing the Union victory, was attacked in the press and accused of cheating ordinary Americans out of their savings.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Nursing has long been lionized as one of the most stable and safe professions for young graduates to pursue.
—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
His work here should be respected, not lionized.
—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Some people have lionized Mangione as a sort of vigilante hero.
—
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
To see that kind of big-budget artistry properly lionized, given some of the duds the Academy has recognized in recent years—I’m looking at you, Green Book—felt like a true triumph.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Barry Goldwater thundered against centralized power, Ronald Reagan lionized hands-off government and liberty, and even Richard Nixon respected certain limits.
—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionized
Verb
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The 23-year-old box-to-box midfielder, a Valencia academy product with 118 top-flight appearances, is admired by Barca's Sporting Director Deco for his all-around play and goal-scoring ability.
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The floral still life was so admired that Caroline Louise, Margravine of Baden, spent three years trying to acquire it through her Paris agent.
Verb
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The French Open honored 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal with a statue outside Court Philippe Chatrier.
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During the Friday opening ceremony in the double anniversary year of KVIFF, its 60th edition in the 80th year, Hoffman had been honored with the fest’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contributions to World Cinema.
Verb
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Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reviled by some and revered by others, is set to be laid to rest after a sprawling multiday funeral ceremony planned as both a religious and a political spectacle.
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Unlike many coming-of-age series, Eva (played by June Diane Raphael) is revered by her daughter.
Verb
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Councilman Jimmy Inman also praised the late man in an emotional Facebook post.
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McMahon praised Wagner for complying with federal guidelines in a DOE press release.
Verb
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For roughly a century after the Constitution was ratified, private property, contracts and free internal trade within the United States were respected.
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He was respected throughout the locker room.
Verb
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The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery with emblematic golden domes, is venerated by both the Russian and Ukrainian wings of the Orthodox Church as one of their most important spiritual centers.
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Olivier was venerated as a Shakespearean actor, playing many iconic protagonists in London including Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth and, controversially, Othello.
Verb
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Quite literally worshipped by some extreme members of society.
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The young couple and their daughter, Rose, worshipped in a stately Victorian Gothic church, where Almanzo’s parents were members and his sisters were married.
Cite this Entry
“Lionized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionized. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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