hagiographer
/,hægi'ɔgrəfist/ Cách viết khác : (hagiographer) /,hægi'ɔgrəfə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A hagiographer is a person who writes the biography of a saint or a highly revered person. This type of writing, called hagiography, typically presents the subject in an admiring, worshipful, or idealized manner, often emphasizing their piety and miraculous deeds rather than providing a critical or balanced historical account.
Usage
The term is used to identify a writer specializing in a particular genre of biographical writing focused on religious or secular figures treated with extreme reverence.
Examples
- The medieval hagiographer meticulously recorded the miracles attributed to the local saint.
- Modern historians must carefully separate fact from legend when reading the works of an ancient hagiographer.
- Critics accused the biographer of being a mere hagiographer for the political leader, refusing to mention any of his flaws.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used pejoratively in modern contexts to describe any biographer or writer who is uncritically adoring and fails to provide an objective account of their subject.
- He wasn't a historian; he was a hagiographer for the regime, producing pure propaganda.
Variants and Related Words
- Hagiography (n): The work produced by a hagiographer; a biography that idealizes its subject.
- The book was less a critical biography and more a hagiography.
- Hagiographic (adj): Having the qualities of a hagiography; excessively praising.
- The film presented a hagiographic portrait of the company's founder.
Synonyms
- Panegyrist: A person who writes or delivers speeches of high praise.
- Laudatory biographer: A biographer who expresses praise and commendation.
Antonyms
- Critic: A person who expresses an unfavorable assessment.
- Detractor: A person who disparages or belittles the worth of someone.
- Debunker: A person who exposes the falseness of idealized claims.
Noun
- the author of a worshipful or idealizing biography