1. past tense of heroicize; to treat, portray, or describe someone or something as heroic or noble
Usage: transitive verb; often used in literary, historical, or media criticism

Examples

• The film heroicized the general's role in the war, downplaying his controversial decisions.
• Historians argued that the biography heroicized the explorer while ignoring the harm he caused to indigenous peoples.
• The media heroicized the athlete after his comeback victory.
• Ancient poets heroicized their kings in epic tales.
• The documentary heroicized the civil rights leader's achievements without examining his personal flaws.