1. to treat or portray someone or something as heroic; to make heroic in character or appearance
Usage: transitive verb; often used in literary, historical, or media contexts

Examples

• The film heroicizes the general's role in the war, downplaying his controversial decisions.
• Historians must be careful not to heroicize figures from the past without examining their full legacy.
• The novel heroicizes the protagonist's struggle against injustice.
• Media outlets sometimes heroicize athletes in ways that ignore their personal flaws.
• Ancient poets heroicized their kings and warriors in epic tales.
• The documentary refuses to heroicize the controversial leader, presenting a balanced view instead.