glorify

From Middle English glorifien, from Anglo-Norman and Old French glorifier, from Late Latin glorificō, from Latin gloria + faciō (“to make”). Displaced native Middle English wuldrien (“to glorify”), from Old English wuldrian as well as Middle English stellifien (“to glorify, make stellar”), from Old French stellifier (Medieval Latin stellificāre); see stellify.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɔɹɪfaɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

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glorify (third-person singular simple present glorifies, present participle glorifying, simple past and past participle glorified)

1. (transitive) To exalt, or give glory or praise to (something or someone).
3. (transitive) To make (something) appear to be more glorious than it is; regard something or someone as excellent baselessly.

   Some movies glorify mobsters by making them seem like the cool kids around the block.

   Historical dictators are glorified in some countries that are dictatorships and by some political radicals.

   • 2019 October 24, “Franco exhumation: Spanish dictator's remains moved”, in BBC News‎:

     Thursday's long-awaited relocation fulfils a key pledge of the socialist government, which said Spain should not continue to glorify a fascist who ruled the country for nearly four decades.

4. (transitive) To worship or extol.

• transfigure, exalt, mythify

• (antonym(s) of “all meanings”): vilify
• (antonym(s) of “regard something or someone excellent baselessly”): slander

• glory
• glorification
• beautify