hagiographize

Etymology

hagiography + -ize

hagiographize means to write a hagiography about; to praise uncritically in writing. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 98 out of 100.

Why “hagiographize” is a great word

HAGIOGRAPHIZE — [Verb] To compose a biography that treats its subject with uncritical, reverent idealization, elevating them to a state of near-sanctity. From hagiography (from Greek hagios, "holy" + graphia, "writing") + the English verbal suffix -ize. Unlike "eulogize," a speech of praise often brief and funereal, or "criticize," its direct, fault-finding opposite, to hagiographize is to construct a sustained literary edifice of veneration. It is the official portrait that smooths every wrinkle, the polished stone over a grave that lists only the victories, the archival scent of incense masking the acrid tang of historical conflict—a testament not to who a person was, but to the human need for an untarnished icon.

verb

To write a hagiography about; to praise uncritically in writing.