Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To improve or attempt to improve the morals of someone; to make something more moral in character.
   • To interpret or explain the moral meaning or lesson of a story, event, or behavior.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To speak or write about matters of right and wrong, often in a self-righteous, judgmental, or sermonizing manner.

Usage

• Transitive verb: Used when someone draws out or imposes a moral lesson.
• Intransitive verb: Used to describe the act of making moral pronouncements, typically in a tedious or pompous way.

Examples

• Transitive use:
  • The fable is used to moralise the importance of honesty to children.
  • He tried to moralise the historical event by focusing on its ethical implications.
• Intransitive use:
  • He has a tendency to moralise about the behavior of young people.
  • Instead of just listening, she always feels the need to moralise.

Advanced Usage

• "to moralise at someone": To deliver a moral lecture directly to a person, often implying an unwelcome or condescending tone.
  • The manager would often moralise at his employees about punctuality.
• Used critically to describe speech perceived as overly pious, preachy, or sanctimonious.
  • The article wasn't just an analysis; it was an opportunity for the author to moralise.

Variants and Related Words

• Moralize: The more common spelling, especially in American English. "Moralise" is the chiefly British spelling.
• Moraliser/Moralizer (noun): A person who moralises.
  • He gained a reputation as a tiresome moraliser.
• Moralising/Moralizing (adjective or noun): Describing speech or writing that moralises, or the act itself.
  • I found his moralising tone very off-putting.

Synonyms

• Preach: To advocate for moral or religious principles, especially in a persistent or annoying way.
• Sermonize: To deliver or compose a sermon; to speak in a moralizing or pompous manner.
• Pontificate: To express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic.
• Lecture (verb): To deliver a long, serious speech, especially as a scolding or reprimand.

Phrasal Verbs

• Moralise about/on/upon: To talk at length about the moral aspects of a subject.
  • He loves to moralise upon the decline of modern society.

Related Idioms

• To mount/ascend the moral high ground: To act or speak as if one's position is morally superior. This is the attitude often associated with someone who is moralising.
  • In the debate, she quickly mounted the moral high ground and began to moralise about her opponent's policies.

Verb

1. improve the morals of
2. speak as if delivering a sermon; express moral judgements
   • This man always sermonizes
3. interpret the moral meaning of
   • moralize a story