Meanings
present singular third person idealizes · participle present idealizing · participle past idealized · past idealized · alternative idealise
- intransitiveTo conceive or form an ideal.
1 more example
People tell me that I wouldn't be so anxious for a lover if I knew the kinds of problems which such a relationship brings, to which I reply that, yes, perhaps I am idealizing somewhat, but basically I know that people aren't plastic, and that where there are human beings there are problems, and, all the same, I think it can be worth it in the long run if there is honesty on both sides.
1975 December 20, Alan Belkin, “On Relationships”, in Gay Community News, volume 3, number 25, page 5 - transitiveartTo portray using idealization.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From ideal + -ize. Compare French idéaliser.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian идеализирам
- идеализирам (idealiziram)transitive: to regard something as ideal
Catalan idealitzar, idealitzar
- idealitzartransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealitzarintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Czech idealizovat
- idealizovatintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Danish idealisere
- idealiseretransitive: to regard something as ideal
Dutch idealiseren
- idealiserentransitive: to regard something as ideal
Esperanto idealigi
- idealigitransitive: to regard something as ideal
Finnish ihannoida
- ihannoidatransitive: to regard something as ideal
French idéaliser, idéaliser
- idéalisertransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idéaliserintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
German idealisieren, idealisieren
- idealisierentransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealisierenintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Hungarian idealizál, eszményít
- idealizáltransitive: to regard something as ideal
- eszményíttransitive: to regard something as ideal
Italian idealizzare, idealizzare
- idealizzaretransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealizzareintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Latin ideālizō
- ideālizōtransitive: to regard something as ideal
Latvian idealizēt, idealizēt
- idealizēttransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealizētintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Polish idealizować, wyidealizować
- idealizowaćtransitive: to regard something as ideal
- wyidealizowaćtransitive: to regard something as ideal
Portuguese idealizar, idealizar
- idealizartransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealizarintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Romanian idealiza
- idealizatransitive: to regard something as ideal
Russian идеализи́ровать, идеализи́ровать
- идеализи́ровать (idealizírovatʹ)transitive: to regard something as ideal
- идеализи́ровать (idealizírovatʹ)intransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Spanish idealizar, idealizar
- idealizartransitive: to regard something as ideal
- idealizarintransitive: to conceive or form an ideal
Swedish idealisera
- idealiseratransitive: to regard something as ideal
Ukrainian ідеалізува́ти
- ідеалізува́ти (idealizuváty)transitive: to regard something as ideal
Cite this entry
idealize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealize
“idealize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealize. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “idealize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealize.
Source: idealize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.