Library / English Dictionary

GLORIFY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: glorified   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bestow glory upon

Example:

The victory over the enemy glorified the Republic

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "glorify" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

glorification (a state of high honor)

glory (brilliant radiant beauty)

glory (a state of high honor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to seem more splendid

Example:

You are glorifying a rather mediocre building

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "glorify" is one way to...):

aggrandise; aggrandize; blow up; dramatise; dramatize; embellish; embroider; lard; pad (add details to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

glorification (a portrayal of something as ideal)

glory (brilliant radiant beauty)

glory (a state of high honor)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Elevate or idealize, in allusion to Christ's transfiguration

Synonyms:

glorify; spiritualize; transfigure

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "glorify" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Praise, glorify, or honor

Example:

glorify one's spouse's cooking

Synonyms:

exalt; extol; glorify; laud; proclaim

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "glorify" is one way to...):

praise (express approval of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "glorify"):

canonise; canonize (treat as a sacred person)

ensky (exalt to the skies; lift to the skies or to heaven with praise)

crack up (rhapsodize about)

hymn (praise by singing a hymn)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue glorify the movie

Derivation:

glorification (the act of glorifying (as in worship))

glorification (a state of high honor)

glory (brilliant radiant beauty)

glory (a state of high honor)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The little house ceased to be a glorified bower, but it became a home, and the young couple soon felt that it was a change for the better.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

And by the by, it used to be uncommonly strange to me to consider, I remember, as I sat in Court too, how those dim old judges and doctors wouldn't have cared for Dora, if they had known her; how they wouldn't have gone out of their senses with rapture, if marriage with Dora had been proposed to them; how Dora might have sung, and played upon that glorified guitar, until she led me to the verge of madness, yet not have tempted one of those slow-goers an inch out of his road!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

And yet the magazine short stories seemed intent on glorifying the Mr. Butlers, the sordid dollar- chasers, and the commonplace little love affairs of commonplace little men and women.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Poor Jo, how she did glorify that plain man, as she sat knitting away so quietly, yet letting nothing escape her, not even the fact that Mr. Bhaer actually had gold sleeve-buttons in his immaculate wristbands.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

All I know of the rest of the evening is, that I heard the empress of my heart sing enchanted ballads in the French language, generally to the effect that, whatever was the matter, we ought always to dance, Ta ra la, Ta ra la! accompanying herself on a glorified instrument, resembling a guitar.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

So the only way in which he could express his rapture was to look at her, with an expression which glorified his face to such a degree that there actually seemed to be little rainbows in the drops that sparkled on his beard.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)