Synonym Chooser

How is the word transmute different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transmute are convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transform, and transmogrify. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

When might convert be a better fit than transmute?

Although the words convert and transmute have much in common, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is it sensible to use metamorphose instead of transmute?

The words metamorphose and transmute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

When is transfigure a more appropriate choice than transmute?

The meanings of transfigure and transmute largely overlap; however, transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When would transform be a good substitute for transmute?

The words transform and transmute can be used in similar contexts, but transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

In what contexts can transmogrify take the place of transmute?

While the synonyms transmogrify and transmute are close in meaning, transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of transmute Underwood explained that these new residents relocated to Detroit with the intention of buying into a neighborhood, not just a home, and underscored the stark contrast between tending a backyard garden and transmuting a vacant lot into a full-fledged farm or garden. Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024 Its focus on the relationship between a young person and a parent who’s been transmuted from human to animal form recalls the plots of Pixar’s Brave and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Nov. 2024 When combined with corruption and persistently high unemployment, inequality is transmuted into inequity in people’s minds. Branko Milanovic, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2011 The bottom line: In tech's social media era, the industry built vast global networks that transmuted our posts and clicks into rivers of profit by monetizing users' personal information. Ina Fried, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for transmute 

Thesaurus Entries Near transmute

Cite this Entry

“Transmute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transmute. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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