supernaturalise

supernaturalise

A writer might supernaturalise a simple folk tale.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To make supernatural: "supernaturalise" means to invest something with supernatural qualities or attributes; to treat or represent something as being beyond the laws of nature or of divine origin.
    • To attribute to supernatural causes: It can also mean to explain or interpret something as resulting from supernatural forces rather than natural ones.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • The author sought to supernaturalise ordinary events in his novel, giving them a mystical aura. (To make everyday occurrences seem magical or otherworldly.)
    • Ancient cultures often supernaturalised natural phenomena like thunderstorms, attributing them to angry gods. (To explain natural events as caused by supernatural beings.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to supernaturalise a concept": to imbue an idea or belief with supernatural meaning.
    • The philosopher argued that religion tends to supernaturalise moral principles, making them seem divinely ordained. (To give a moral concept a supernatural foundation.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Supernatural (adj): existing or occurring outside the normal course of nature.
    • The ghost story involved supernatural elements like apparitions. (Events beyond natural explanation.)
  • Supernaturalism (n): belief in or reliance on supernatural forces or beings.
    • Supernaturalism is common in many folk traditions. (The worldview that accepts supernatural influence.)
  • Supernaturalisation (n): the process or result of making something supernatural.
    • The supernaturalisation of political leaders was a feature of ancient empires. (The act of treating rulers as divine.)
Synonyms
  • Mystify: to make mysterious or obscure.
  • Divinise: to make divine or godlike.
  • Transcendentalise: to treat as transcending the physical world.
Related Idioms
  • Take on a life of its own: to become more complex or powerful than originally intended, often with a supernatural connotation.
    • The legend supernaturalised the hero, and the story took on a life of its own. (The hero was made supernatural, and the tale grew beyond control.)