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glamorize

Other forms: glamorized; glamorizing; glamorizes

When you make something seem more attractive or exciting than it really is, you glamorize it. Movies you've seen might glamorize camping, but after three days with no shower, you may find it less enticing.

Making anything appear glamorous is to glamorize it. So you can glamorize your dog by dressing him in a fancy velvet collar studded with jewels. It's more common, however, to use this verb for the act of making difficult or dangerous things seem very alluring. A book might glamorize a climb to the top of Mt. Everest (which is actually very dangerous), and an old movie might glamorize the life of a gangster (which was decidedly less luxurious once he was convicted and imprisoned).

Definitions of glamorize
  1. verb
    interpret romantically
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    type of:
    idealise, idealize
    consider or render as ideal
  2. verb
    make glamorous and attractive
    “This new wallpaper really glamorizes the living room!”
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    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘glamorize'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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