aggrandize
verb
Did you know?
Aggrandize is a grand word, and we don’t just mean that in praise. The word literally traces back to the Latin adjective grandis, meaning "grand," and it has enhanced the English language for over three centuries. Nowadays, aggrandize is often paired with self (either the word or the prefix: to "aggrandize oneself" or to "be self-aggrandizing" is to glorify oneself, or to intently pursue power, wealth, and the like. It's of course great to take pride in a job well done, but we stan those who keep it real—after all, not every hit can be a grand slam.
Synonyms
Examples of aggrandize in a Sentence
Sarah Kurchak, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024
Dennie’s book is best read as a critique of a court that seems hellbent on aggrandizing its own unaccountable power to decide partisan issues at the expense of the other branches of government and the American people.
—Kenneth W. MacK, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The Supreme Court, in eviscerating decades of administrative law, running roughshod over women’s privacy rights and impeding the federal government’s power to regulate securities law, has aggrandized more power to itself than any court in history.
—Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The project of applying modern standards to our forebears to aggrandize ourselves has also taken aim at some of the giants of Western political history.
—Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Aggrandize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggrandize. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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aggrandize
verb
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