LIONIZE Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

lionize

verb

Definition of lionize

as in to honor

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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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 lionize There are episodes that reflect the tendency to lionize the Founders in a way that is incomplete. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2026 Greenspan was the rare celebrity among central bankers, lionized for his economic stewardship in the 1990s. — Scott Horsley, 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 Popular culture really likes to lionize chosen families. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lionize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lionize

Verb

Brad Pitt sent a message to George Clooney as the Michael Clayton star was honored Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Last night marked a huge milestone in the career of George Clooney, who was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of honor

Verb

Deploy cunning and operate in darkness, like those shapeshifting, half-human, half-wolf creatures revered in German folklore.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
In a sport like golf, where grinders like Clark are revered, that sort of head-down, do-the-work attitude may be what ends up appealing to fans.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of revere

Verb

Other venerated South Side joints included Pepper’s Lounge, the Dew Drop Inn, and Theresa’s Lounge, the latter of which was tucked away in the basement of an apartment building.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Not asked enough by those who venerated Graham is why in death the patriot’s name must be associated with what’s so inimical to American prosperity and freedom.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of venerate

Verb

The women exalted in these spaces put their face on in the morning—as a woman from the 1950s might say.

— Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
This has been an awesome showcase of American community, with our own USMNT support and other countries’ diasporas springing up exalting watch parties all over the place.

— Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Definition of exalt

Verb

Momentum really started to build as those moving averages turned higher, with SPOT subsequently respecting them as support throughout much of the next three years.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
The period is respected but never allowed to become stiff or artificial.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of respect

Verb

The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Head coach Willie Simmons praised his team’s athleticism and talent through fall camp, while emphasizing the X’s and O’s with the season opener approaching.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of praise

Verb

Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
She was promoted to worship leader, a job typically held by an older member of the church.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of worship

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lionize

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“Lionize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lionize. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lionize

verb

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