mythologise
Definition
Verb: 1. To transform into a myth; to make legendary or mythical: To take a person, event, or object and imbue it with the exaggerated, symbolic, or supernatural qualities characteristic of a myth. 2. To construct or relate a myth: To create or tell a story that follows the patterns and serves the functions of traditional mythology.
Usage
- This verb describes the process of giving something a mythic quality, often simplifying or exaggerating its reality.
- It can be used in both a neutral/descriptive sense and a critical sense, implying that the subject is being portrayed in an unrealistically heroic or idealized way.
- The spelling mythologize is also correct and more common in American English.
Examples
- Transforming into a myth:
- "Popular culture has mythologised the life of the outlaw, turning a criminal into a romantic hero."
- "Over time, the facts of the battle were mythologised into a tale of impossible courage against overwhelming odds."
- Constructing a myth:
- "The ancient poet mythologised the origins of the city, claiming it was founded by a son of a god."
- "The tribe's elders mythologise the natural world, seeing every mountain and river as the embodiment of a spirit."
Advanced Usage
- The passive voice is common: The subject is often the thing being turned into a myth (e.g., "The past is often mythologised").
- Reflexive use: Sometimes used reflexively, as in "He mythologised himself," meaning he created a legendary persona about himself.
Variants and Related Words
- Mythologize (v): The primary alternative spelling.
- Myth (n): A traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to explain a worldview; a widely held but false belief.
- Mythology (n): A collection of myths, or the study of myths.
- Mythological (adj): Relating to or existing in myths.
- Demythologise (v): To remove the mythical character from; to interpret a myth in a non-mythical way.
Synonyms
- Legendize: To make into a legend.
- Glorify: To represent as admirable, often excessively so.
- Idealize: To regard or represent as perfect or better than in reality.
- Romanticize: To make something seem more appealing or idealized than it really is.
- Apotheosize: To elevate to divine status; to deify.
Antonyms
- Demythologise: To strip of mythical qualities.
- Debunk: To expose the falseness of a myth or belief.
- Demystify: To make less mysterious or easier to understand.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- To become mythologised: Describes the process undergone by the subject (e.g., "The singer's early death caused him to become mythologised").
- The mythologising of history: A common phrase referring to the tendency to turn historical figures and events into simplified, symbolic narratives.
Verb
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make into a myth
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The Europeans have mythicized Rte. 66
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construct a myth
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The poet mythologized that the King had three sons
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