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glamorize

[glam-uh-rahyz] / ˈglæm əˌraɪz /


VERB
romanticize
Synonyms
VERB
sentimentalize
Synonyms


Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for glamorize?
Glamorize most commonly means to make something appear to be glamorous when it’s really not, as in All these movies glamorize violence instead of showing its real consequences. Words that often mean the same thing are glorify and romanticize. The words idealize and sentimentalize can also be used in similar ways. Less commonly, glamorize is used in a more straightforward way meaning to make someone or something more beautiful, attractive, fancy, etc., as in Don’t worry—we will totally glamorize you for the cover shoot.
What's the difference between glamorize, glamour, and glamorous?
The noun glamour is usually spelled with a u but also sometimes spelled glamor. The verb glamorize and the adjective glamorous are sometimes spelled with -our-, but more often just -or-.
Is it glamorize or glamorise?
The usual spelling in American English is glamorize. In British English and other varieties, the spelling glamorise is used.
How do you use glamorize in a sentence?
Glamorize is usually used in the context of things that are believed to glorify or romanticize something considered negative. Here are some examples of glamorize in a sentence:
  • Some war films show the agony of war, while others glamorize it.
  • I try not to glamorize the past when I write historical fiction.
  • She accused the media of glamorizing the life of a pop star.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Glamorous as the exiles are, Kentridge does not glamorize them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2025

Michael Mann’s Ferrari may glamorize speed, but Mann isn’t shy about showing its consequences.

From Slate ● Nov. 27, 2023

The Stones helped glamorize the Riviera for rock stars.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2023

But unlike DIS — who do so without discernible politics and tend to glamorize a sense of existential resignation — Kline is stridently and sincerely polemical.

From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

“I suppose I did glamorize it a bit,” he admitted.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Yes I know there’s a cult that loves its night tennis, that glamorizes it, that thinks it’s an essential part of the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Booth glamorizes the hustle, but Lincoln lived the dangers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2025

Unlike the Grimace Shake incident, the Barbie Shake "yassifies," or glamorizes, its lucky drinkers.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2023

The book is also a love letter to activism, which isn’t to say it glamorizes it.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 10, 2022

While he has difficulty aligning his belief in a classless society with the royal family, he doesn’t think “The Crown” glamorizes them, despite its pageantry and splendor.

From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

"It's very glamorized, and it feels very professional and fun," said Grace Stark, a world 100m bronze medallist in Tokyo last month.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025

But as the One Who Needs to Be Noticed, Impacciatore’s Esmeralda does have more than a little Michael Scott in her, though turned up to 11, insanely glamorized and in an Italian accent.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025

Lestat’s figment doubles as his love’s guilty conscience and a glamorized memory.

From Salon ● May 26, 2024

A federal judge struck down the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to regulate premium, hand-rolled cigars on Wednesday, offering relief to makers of a luxury product glamorized in films and celebrations.

From New York Times ● Aug. 10, 2023

Now that he had gone, these things, so long subdued by his presence, were glamorized in his wake.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

By upgrading marriage registries with chandeliers, flower arches and poetry, local Chinese officials are glamorizing city hall weddings in hopes of encouraging young couples to marry and boost the nation’s declining birthrate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

“She’s glamorizing the lie that women can have it all!”

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Though the streamer’s history of glamorizing and heightening heinous acts isn’t necessarily indicative of the quality of “The Perfect Neighbor,” it does cloud the documentary’s release with apprehension.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025

Bayona’s film seeks to honor the story and strays away from glamorizing or sensationalizing the horrors the passengers and crew members endured.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

Now, I regularly see stories glamorizing Wonder Valley and the eclectic lifestyle offered here.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022




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