demonize

• daemonise (UK)
• daemonize (chiefly UK)
• dæmonize (rare)
• demonise (UK)

From Medieval Latin daemonizō, from daemon +‎ -izō. Compare Ancient Greek δαιμονίζομαι (daimonízomai, “to be possessed by a demon”), from δαίμων (daímōn, “demon”). By surface analysis, demon +‎ -ize.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdiːmənaɪz/

• Audio (US):

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demonize (third-person singular simple present demonizes, present participle demonizing, simple past and past participle demonized)

1. (transitive) To turn into a demon.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.
   • 2020 September 1, Peter Baker, “Trump has a long history of language that incites and demonizes.”, in The New York Times‎:

     President Trump has seized on the response in the streets to police brutality against Black men and women to bolster his re-election campaign, employing provocative and sometimes incendiary language and images to incite his followers, demonize his opponents or both.

   • 2022 October 3, Michelle Goldberg, “Boys and Men Are in Crisis Because Society Is”, in The New York Times‎:

     He calls for a “massive, urgent recruitment effort,” which is a fine idea, but one that’s likely to be futile unless we stop demonizing teachers and start paying them fairly.

   • 2024 May 11, Isabella Sylvester, “18 Things Society Has Demonized That Should Be Considered Normal”, in MSN‎:

     Many people disagree with several things society has normalized, some of which are even demonized. Frustratingly, attaching a stigma to perfectly reasonable things makes people feel attacked when they publicly do them.

• (represent as evil or diabolic): vilify

demonize

1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of demonizar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative