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):

  (file)

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

1. (transitive) To turn into a demon.

   Synonyms: demonify, diabolize

   Antonyms: angelify, angelize

2. (transitive, figuratively) To describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.

   Synonyms: monster, monsterize, vilify, villainize; see also Thesaurus:defame

   • 2020 September 1, Peter Baker, “Trump has a long history of language that incites and demonizes.”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 8 September 2020:

     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^[2], archived from the original on 21 March 2023:

     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.

   • 2023 July 21, Michael Anton, “The Pessimistic Case for the Future”, in Compact‎^[3], archived from the original on 26 March 2024:

     It brags “we can replace them”—and gaslights and demonizes those who notice and object to being replaced.

   • 2024 May 11, Isabella Sylvester, “18 Things Society Has Demonized That Should Be Considered Normal”, in MSN‎^[4], archived from the original on 16 May 2024:

     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. Here are 18 things that society has unfairly demonized that should be considered normal.

demonize

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