heroify

The author sought to heroify the humble farmer in his novel.

Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To make a hero of; to treat or regard as a hero: "heroify" means to elevate someone to the status of a hero, often by exaggerating their qualities or accomplishments.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The media tends to heroify ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts of bravery. (The media treats them as heroes.)
  • Some historians criticize the tendency to heroify political leaders, ignoring their flaws. (They criticize the practice of regarding them as heroes.)

Advanced Usage

• "to heroify someone beyond recognition": to idealize a person to the point where their real character is obscured.
  • The biographer heroified the subject beyond recognition, omitting all his mistakes. (The biography made him seem unrealistically heroic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Heroification (noun): the process or act of making someone a hero.
  • The heroification of soldiers in wartime propaganda is common. (The process of elevating them to hero status.)
• Heroic (adj): having the qualities of a hero; very brave.
  • She made a heroic effort to save the child. (A brave, selfless effort.)
• Hero (noun): a person admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Synonyms

• Deify: to treat someone as a god or as divine (stronger than heroify).
• Idolize: to admire or revere someone excessively.
• Glorify: to praise or honor someone highly, often with exaggeration.

Related Idioms

• To put on a pedestal: to admire or idealize someone excessively.
  • Fans often put celebrities on a pedestal, heroifying them without knowing their true selves. (They treat them as perfect heroes.)
• To make a saint of someone: to treat someone as faultless or morally perfect.
  • The community made a saint of the old teacher, heroifying his every action. (They regarded him as a flawless hero.)