verherrlichen
glorify
Definition & meaning
verherrlichen is a German verb meaning to glorify, exalt, or idealize someone or something. It usually implies presenting a person, event, ideology, or past in an excessively positive or uncritical way.
- Er verherrlicht den Krieg. — “He glorifies war.”
- Der Film verherrlicht das Leben der Stars. — “The film glorifies the lives of celebrities.”
- Sie verklärt und verherrlicht ihre Kindheit. — “She idealizes and glorifies her childhood.”
Depending on the context, verherrlichen can mean:
-
To glorify or praise excessively, often in a critical sense
Die Propaganda verherrlichte den Diktator. — “The propaganda glorified the dictator.” -
To idealize or portray something as better than it really was
Er verherrlicht die Vergangenheit. — “He romanticizes or idealizes the past.”
Grammar & Word origin
- Verb: verherrlichen
- Infinitive: verherrlichen
- Present tense, third-person singular: er/sie/es verherrlicht
- Simple past: verherrlichte
- Past participle: verherrlicht
- Auxiliary verb: haben
- Type: weak, inseparable verb
Sie hat den Erfolg verherrlicht. — “She glorified the success.”
The word consists of:
- ver-: a German prefix that can indicate a change or transformation, and sometimes gives a negative or excessive nuance
- herrlich: “splendid,” “magnificent,” or “glorious”
- -en: the infinitive ending
Literally, the word suggests making something appear herrlich (“glorious” or “magnificent”).
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- glorifizieren — “to glorify”; very close in meaning and often used for excessive praise, especially in political, historical, or ideological contexts.
- preisen — “to praise”; usually more general and not necessarily excessive or uncritical.
- rühmen — “to praise” or “to boast about”; can be positive without implying the distortion often associated with verherrlichen.
- idealisieren — “to idealize”; emphasizes presenting someone or something as perfect or better than reality.
- verklären — “to romanticize” or “to transfigure”; often refers to viewing the past or reality through an unrealistically positive lens.
Antonyms
- kritisieren — “to criticize”; focuses on identifying faults rather than praising excessively.
- verurteilen — “to condemn”; expresses strong disapproval.
- entlarven — “to expose” or “to unmask”; reveals the negative or hidden reality behind an idealized image.
- entmythologisieren — “to demythologize”; removes exaggerated or legendary elements from an account.
Common phrases & collocations
- den Krieg verherrlichen — to glorify war
- Gewalt verherrlichen — to glorify violence
- Verbrecher verherrlichen — to glorify criminals
- die Vergangenheit verherrlichen — to romanticize or idealize the past
- ein Regime verherrlichen — to glorify a regime
- sich selbst verherrlichen — to glorify oneself or portray oneself as exceptionally important
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Examples
Man darf Gewalt nicht verherrlichen.verb
One must not glorify violence.
Viele Lieder verherrlichen ein gefährliches Leben.verb
Many songs glorify a dangerous life.
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