deify

verb

de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio) ˈdā- How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a god of
b
: to take as an object of worship
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth

Examples of deify in a Sentence

The people deified the emperor. materialistic people who deify money
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the history of Rome, only Julius, Augustus, and Claudius were deified upon their deaths; Vespasian wants the honor, and his son and heir, Titus, wants to give it to him. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024 Law goes balls out (literally) in crafting the narcissistic megalomaniac that is Ritter, a man who deifies Nietzsche. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024 Trump is deified in Butler, a town where longtime auto dealership owner Mike Kelly (who married into the T.W. Phillips oil and gas family fortune) loudly serves as a controversial U.S. representative. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 15 July 2024 The solution to this question can be reached not by deifying the nation, but on the contrary by completely liberating productive forces from the fetters imposed upon them by the national state. Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011 See all Example Sentences for deify 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French deifier, from Late Latin deificare, from Latin deus god + -ficare -fy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of deify was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near deify

Cite this Entry

“Deify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deify. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

deify

verb
de·​i·​fy ˈdē-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce deify (audio)
deified; deifying
1
a
: to make a god of
Roman emperors were often deified
b
: to take as an object of worship
Druids deified oak trees
2
: to glorify as of supreme worth
deify money
deification
ˌdē-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on deify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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