mythologize
mythologize — 動詞
- mythologizepresent simple I / you / we / they
- mythologizes3rd person singular
- mythologizing-ing form
- mythologizedpast simple
1. to make someone or something seem more important, special, or admirable than the
神化；美化
將事實誇大美化
to make someone or something seem more important, special, or admirable than they really are, especially by telling stories that are not completely true — for example, mythologizing a politician's early life to make them look like a born leader, or mythologizing a past era as a perfect golden age
The film mythologizes the general's life, turning an ordinary soldier into an unbeatable hero.
這部電影將軍人的生平神化，把一名普通士兵塑造成無敵英雄。
transitive: mythologize + person's life + transformation pattern
Salma's grandfather was mythologized in a local paper as a man who could predict weather.
Salma 的祖父在當地報紙中被神化，被描述成一位能預測天氣的人。
passive: be mythologized as + noun phrase
TV shows often mythologize police work, making it look more exciting than it really is.
電視節目經常神化警察工作，使其看起來遠比實際情況刺激。
Some people mythologize the 1980s as a golden age when life was simpler.
有些人將一九八〇年代美化，說那是個生活更簡單的黃金時代。
Nora felt that historians had mythologized her country's founding leader beyond all reason.
Nora 覺得歷史學家把她國家建國領袖的事蹟過度美化，完全不合常理。
- glorify
focuses on praising and honouring, without necessarily implying falsehood
- romanticize
makes something seem more attractive or romantic than it really is
- idealize
portrays something as perfect, often ignoring its flaws
- exaggerate
makes something seem bigger or more important, but does not involve creating a full story or legend
文法句型
mythologize + noun phrase
be mythologized + as + noun phrase
mythologize + about + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions (e.g., 'is mythologized as'). Common in discussions of history, media, politics, and biography. The word carries a negative connotation — it suggests that the true picture has been distorted or exaggerated.