as in idealizing
to represent or think of as better than reality would warrant
he romanticized what life in a small town would be like, only to be later disappointed when reality intruded
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Recent Examples of romanticizing
After the cowboys’ home had yellowed to memory, illustrators such as Frederic Remington set about romanticizing the Westerner, a process vigorously seized upon by the chieftains of Hollywood.
—
Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The shadow is chasing dopamine instead of fulfillment or romanticizing something that does not have real substance.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
The trend has become the latest example of people online romanticizing a different time as a form of escapism.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Though winter brings shorter days and frosty weather, a trip to the slopes has a way of romanticizing the season.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 8 Jan. 2026
Nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but this year’s astrology asks us to stop romanticizing potential and start paying attention to what feels genuine, reciprocal and enduring.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Consumers are remixing the past, romanticizing the everyday, even repurposing sportswear—all new ideas that require old items.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
Pop culture has been so stuck in a mode of romanticizing pioneers and settlers that American Primeval, with its insistence on diving into Mormon history and rejecting the idea that violence in the name of gaining power is justified, feels like a balancing of the scales.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
Crucially, the film avoids the trap of scolding younger generations or romanticizing the past.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
The shadow is chasing dopamine instead of fulfillment or romanticizing something that does not have real substance.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 25 Jan. 2026
The trend has become the latest example of people online romanticizing a different time as a form of escapism.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Though winter brings shorter days and frosty weather, a trip to the slopes has a way of romanticizing the season.
—Mecca Pryor, Essence, 8 Jan. 2026
Nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but this year’s astrology asks us to stop romanticizing potential and start paying attention to what feels genuine, reciprocal and enduring.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Consumers are remixing the past, romanticizing the everyday, even repurposing sportswear—all new ideas that require old items.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
Pop culture has been so stuck in a mode of romanticizing pioneers and settlers that American Primeval, with its insistence on diving into Mormon history and rejecting the idea that violence in the name of gaining power is justified, feels like a balancing of the scales.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for romanticizing
Verb
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By late month, career responsibilities intensify, requiring you to define a realistic path forward instead of idealizing outcomes.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
-
The song was seen as glamorizing Nazi ideology, antisemitism and Hitler.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Romanticizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/romanticizing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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