Definition

Verb: * To imbue with spirit or a spirit; to animate with a vital principle or spiritual essence. * To treat or regard in a spiritual manner; to give a spiritual character or interpretation to.

Usage

• The verb "spiritize" is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., ).
• It is a formal and somewhat rare or literary term, often used in philosophical, religious, or poetic contexts.
• It describes the act of infusing something with a non-material, animating force or viewing it through a spiritual lens.

Examples

• The artist sought to spiritize the mundane landscape, capturing its hidden, ethereal quality.
• Ancient rituals were performed to spiritize the sacred objects, making them vessels for divine presence.
• Her philosophy attempts to spiritize matter, arguing that consciousness is inherent in all things.

Advanced Usage

• Spiritizing gaze: A way of looking at the world that perceives spiritual significance in ordinary things.
  • Through his spiritizing gaze, the old tree was not just wood, but a ancient guardian of the hill.
• To spiritize an argument/debate: To elevate a discussion from purely practical or material concerns to include moral or spiritual dimensions.
  • The speaker tried to spiritize the debate about conservation by discussing our sacred duty to the Earth.

Variants and Related Words

• Spiritualize (verb): A much more common synonym with a very similar meaning: to make spiritual; to give a spiritual character or meaning to.
• Inspirit (verb): To fill with spirit or animation; to encourage, enliven, or cheer. (Focuses more on energizing than infusing with spiritual essence).
• Spirit (noun): The non-physical part of a person; a vital principle; a supernatural being.
• Spirited (adjective): Full of energy, courage, or animation.

Synonyms

• Animate
• Inspire
• Vitalize
• Enliven
• Consecrate (in a religious context)

Antonyms

• Materialize
• Desecrate
• Deadened
• Dispirit

Related Phrases

• To imbue with spirit: This phrase is the core definition of "spiritize" and is more commonly used.
  • The ceremony was designed to imbue the new hall with a spirit of community.
• To breathe life into: A more idiomatic phrase for animating or energizing something.
  • The new director breathed life into the old play. (Compare to: The new director spiritized the old play.)

Verb

1. imbue with a spirit