as in to popularize
to use so much as to make less appealing
the composer's masterpiece has been hopelessly vulgarized by its use in countless TV commercials
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vulgarize
His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
—Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
—Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulgarize
Verb
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The shutdown marks a dramatic fall for a chain founded in Dallas in 1982 that helped popularize Tex-Mex dining across the country.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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That film served as Carpenter’s follow-up to his breakthrough hit, Halloween, which didn’t invent the slasher film but did codify and popularize the horror subgenre in which seemingly deathless masked killers stalk helpless prey, often horny teens (though anyone will do in a pinch).—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Verb
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In their scenes together, Ahmed plays straight man so Khan can go huge, all breezy confidence and street smarts combined as a defense against the countless stereotypes the bearded, accented, proudly Muslim Zulfi must face every day.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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When younger generations don’t have interactions or relationships with older adults having vibrant lives, later chapters of life can be stereotyped as a time of pain, difficulty and loss, Emery-Tiburcio said.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Verb
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The fastest ways to lose that hotel feel include overusing plug-ins, which read as synthetic, and mixing too many competing fragrances at once.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
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Don’t Overdo the Booze While a preflight or in-flight cocktail might sound like a good idea to calm jangled nerves, both experts caution against overusing alcohol to manage anxiety in the air.—
Jill Robbins,
Travel + Leisure,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The background appears splotchy and overexposed, but to my dismay, the selfie camera did not miss my messy eyebrows or the minor imperfections on my skin.—
Kimberly Gedeon,
PC Magazine,
2 June 2026
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Talent can lose trust, seem overexposed, fall out of sync with the moment, or simply become less compelling.—
Lin Cherry,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
Verb
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And anyone who wants something subtle but far from boring.—
Alexandra Malmed,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
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Buzzard followed along, fascinated by the social experiment though bored by the mathematical content of Equational Theories.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vulgarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarize. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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