victimize

V4I1C3T1I1M3I1Z10E1
/ˈvɪktɪmaɪz/

verb

To make (someone) a victim or sacrifice.

Similar
victimiseswindlerookgoldbricknobblediddlebuncodefraud
OriginEnglish victim ← Middle French victime ← Latin victima →
UncommonScrabble 25
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Meanings

verbvictimize (third-person singular simple present victimizes, present participle victimizing, simple past and past participle victimized)

present singular third person victimizes · participle present victimizing · participle past victimized · past victimized · alternative victimise

  1. transitiveTo make (someone) a victim or sacrifice.
  2. transitiveTo punish unjustly.

    Yet, even as Democratic party leadership has decried this mass deportation plan and even as the bill maligns Democrats as victimizing Americans through its policy of “open borders,” 48 Democratic members of Congress voted for this GOP-backed bill.

    2025 January 19, Heba Gowayed, “The Laken Riley Act exposes Democrats’ hypocrisy on immigration”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
  3. transitiveTo swindle or defraud.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmake a victim of

Similar
victimise
Broader
wrong

verbpunish unjustly

Similar
victimise
Broader
punishpenalizepenalise

verbdeprive of by deceit

Similar
swindlerookgoldbricknobblediddlebuncodefraudscammulcthornswoggleshort-changecon
Broader
cheatrip offchisel
Also see
buncocondefrauddiddlegoldbrickhornswogglemulctnobblerookscamswindle

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*weyk-
  2. Latinvictima
  3. Middle Frenchvictime
  4. Englishvictim
  5. Englishvictimize

From victim + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian жертвам, измъчвам
  • жертвам (žertvam)to make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • измъчвам (izmăčvam)to punish someone unjustly
Catalan victimitzar
  • victimitzarto make someone a victim or sacrifice
French victimiser, victimer
  • victimiserto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • victimerto make someone a victim or sacrifice
German viktimisieren, zum Opfer machen
  • viktimisierento make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • zum Opfer machento make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • opfernto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • schikanierento punish someone unjustly
  • ungerecht behandelnto punish someone unjustly
  • ungerechterweise bestrafento punish someone unjustly
Italian vittimizzare
  • vittimizzareto make someone a victim or sacrifice
Latin victimizō, victimō
  • victimizōto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • victimōto make someone a victim or sacrifice
Māori hawene
  • haweneto make someone a victim or sacrifice
Polish poświęcać w ofierze, poświęcić w ofierze
  • poświęcać w ofierzeto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • poświęcić w ofierzeto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • prześladowaćto punish someone unjustly
  • represjonowaćto punish someone unjustly
  • oszukiwaćto defraud
  • oszukaćto defraud
  • sprzeniewierzaćto defraud
  • sprzeniewierzyćto defraud
  • defraudowaćto defraud
  • zdefraudowaćto defraud
  • wyłudzaćto defraud
  • wyłudzićto defraud
Portuguese vitimar, vitimizar
  • vitimarto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • vitimizarto make someone a victim or sacrifice
  • injustiçarto punish someone unjustly
Spanish victimizar
  • victimizarto make someone a victim or sacrifice
Cite this entry
APA

victimize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victimize

MLA

“victimize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victimize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “victimize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victimize.

Source: victimize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.