beatify

IPA/biˈætɪfaɪ/
KK[biˈætəfˌaɪ]IPA/biˈætɪfaɪ/

beatify — verb

  • beatifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • beatifieshe / she / it
  • beatifiedpast simple
  • beatifying-ing form

1. To perform an official ceremony in the Roman Catholic Church that recognizes a d

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To perform an official ceremony in the Roman Catholic Church that recognizes a dead person as blessed and worthy of the title 'Blessed,' which is a necessary step before the Church can declare that person a saint.

Example

Pope John Paul II was beatified in 2011, a step toward his canonization.

was beatified, step toward his canonization

The Vatican ceremony to beatify the missionary drew thousands of pilgrims to Rome.

Common collocations
  • beatified by the Pope
  • beatified martyr
  • ceremony to beatify
  • beatified nun
Synonyms
  • canonize

    a later, higher stage — beatification is the step before canonization

  • bless

    broader and less technical; bless can apply to people, objects, or events

Antonyms
  • condemn

    to declare someone damned rather than blessed

Grammar Patterns

subject (Church/Vatican) + beatify + object (deceased person)

object + be + beatified by the Church

Usage Note

Frequently in passive voice. The subject is typically the Roman Catholic Church or the Pope, and the object is always a person who has died. This is the only sense tied to a formal religious procedure within Catholicism.

Common Mistakes

The Church beatified the living saint.
The Church beatified the deceased nun.
Beatification only applies to people who have already died.
The bishop will beatify the new church building.
The bishop will bless the new church building.
Beatify is for people, not objects or places.

2. To describe or view a person as completely perfect and without flaws, usually in

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To describe or view a person as completely perfect and without flaws, usually in a way that ignores their real shortcomings or makes them seem larger than life.

Example

Fans often beatify their favorite celebrities, choosing to ignore any negative stories about them.

beatify their favorite celebrities

The biography beatifies its subject so much that it reads like a legend, not history.

reads like a legend, not history

Common collocations
  • tend to beatify
  • beatify as a hero
  • beatify the past
  • refuse to beatify
Synonyms
  • idealize

    more common; same meaning but less intense and less religious in tone

  • glorify

    focuses on praising rather than depicting as flawless

  • romanticize

    adds a sentimental or romantic quality to the perfection

  • canonize

    metaphorical extension; can be used similarly but retains religious overtones

Antonyms
  • vilify

    to describe someone as completely bad

  • criticize

    neutral opposite in everyday language

Grammar Patterns

beatify + object (person)

beatify + object + as + complement

Usage Note

Often carries a mildly critical tone, suggesting that the idealized image is unrealistic or exaggerated. Common in discussions of media portrayals, biographies, and celebrity culture.

Common Mistakes

She beatified her apartment before the guests arrived.
She beatified her grandmother in her speech.
Beatify refers to describing a person as perfect, not to improving objects or places.
I beatify my vacation photos.
I idealize my vacation memories.
Beatify applies to people, not to experiences or inanimate things.

3. To fill someone with a deep, almost spiritual sense of joy or bliss that lifts t

3.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

To fill someone with a deep, almost spiritual sense of joy or bliss that lifts them above ordinary happiness.

Example

The sunset over the ocean beatified the weary travelers after their long journey.

Standing inside the ancient cathedral, the music beatified Fatima beyond any words she could find.

music beatified

Common collocations
  • beatified by the beauty
  • beatified beyond words
  • sense of peace beatified
Synonyms
  • enrapture

    similar level of intensity; focuses on being carried away by joy

  • elate

    more common; describes great happiness without the spiritual nuance

  • thrill

    colloquial and often suggests excitement rather than deep bliss

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

beatify + object (person)

subject (experience/scene/sensation) + beatify + object

Usage Note

Literary or elevated register. The subject is usually a powerful experience, natural scene, or emotional moment rather than a person. Rare in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

The joke beatified everyone at the party.
The view from the mountaintop beatified the hikers.
Beatify describes a deep, sublime joy, not light amusement.
Winning the lottery beatified him.
Winning the lottery made him happy.
Beatify implies a spiritual or transcendent quality, not material satisfaction.

Word family

  • beatification
    nounC1
  • beatific
    adjectiveC1
  • beatifically
    adverbC2
  • beatitude
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four verbs describe presenting someone or something in a more positive light than reality may warrant. 'Idealize' is the most general and neutral term — it simply means viewing something as perfect or meeting an ideal standard. 'Beatify' (sense 2) adds a stronger religious metaphor, treating the person as if they were literally blessed or saintly, which implies an unrealistic, almost worshipful admiration. 'Glorify' focuses on praise and celebration rather than perfection — you can glorify a victory without claiming it was flawless. 'Romanticize' adds sentimentality, usually about the past or about relationships. 'Canonize' is the most metaphorical extension from religion; like 'beatify,' it treats the person as a saint, but usually in a more cynical or ironic tone. For example, a biographer who idealizes a politician might downplay their scandals; a biographer who beatifies that same politician would treat them as incapable of wrongdoing.

idealizeglorify ↗romanticize ↗canonize ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

From Late Latin 'beatificare' (to make happy or blessed), which was formed from Latin 'beatus' (blessed, happy) and 'facere' (to make). The specifically Catholic sense of declaring someone blessed emerged in medieval Church Latin and entered English in the 16th century.