transfigure means to transform the outward appearance of; to convert into a different form, state or substance. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
transfigure is pronounced /tɹænsˈfɪɡjɚ/.
Why “transfigure” is a great word
TRANSFIGURE — [Verb] To transform the outward appearance of something, especially in a way that glorifies or exalts it. From Old French transfigurer, from Latin transfigurare, from trans- ("across, beyond") + figura ("figure, shape"). First attested in English in the early 13th century. Unlike "transform" (a neutral, all-purpose term for change) or "transmogrify" (which suggests a comic or grotesque alteration), "transfigure" implies a change that reveals a higher, often spiritual, truth. It is the common sandstone of a cathedral façade burning gold in the last light of dusk, the worn face of a mourner suddenly illuminated by a memory of joy, or the tedious routine of a life made radiant by a single, clarifying purpose. It is the visible sign of an invisible light.
Etymology
From Old French transfigurer.
verb
- To transform the outward appearance of; to convert into a different form, state or substance.
- To glorify or exalt.