Skip to main content
to humanize

to humanize

25 4.8
To make something kinder and more caring toward people
  • verb
  • /ˈhjuːmənaɪz/
translation icon : humanizar
  • The documentary aims to humanize the struggles of people living in poverty.
  • attempts to humanize
  • humanized landscape
  • humanized characters

But how can a brand become more humanized by having a mascot?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The organizer's stated intent was to "humanize" the teenagers.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Arts education must lead to this high ground as well, humanizing and civilizing us all.

    Academic text (1995)
  • I want to try to humanize these characters.

  • I would try and humanize him.

  • These teachers have used technology to humanize the classroom.

  • Her attitude, that of a concerned older sister, humanizes the character in an unexpected way.

    Blog text (15)
  • And there's a way in which these drawings, these beautiful facsimiles humanize the artist to me in a way I really enjoy.

  • Sufi music, like many other cultural arts, is thus portrayed as humanizing.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The storyteller, however, strives always to humanize Deborah by noting points of connection that an audience may share.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Situated at an inner-city taxi rank, the mural intends to upgrade and humanize this much-frequented, but exceptionally drab city space.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

to civilize
vsto humanize
10 4.4

Make a person or group more polite and socially aware

adds compassion and human qualities rather than focusing on manners

Antonyms

to dehumanize
  • Formal
24 7.5

To treat a person as if they are not human and take away their dignity

How Humane

to humanize
25 4.8
to dignify
20 5.1
to soften
50 3.1
to reform
228 3.7
to civilize
10 4.4

Surface Forms

humanize infinitive
humanized past
humanized past participle
humanizing present participle
humanizes third person singular

Morphology

humanize = human (transparent) = human + ize

The verb is regularly formed by adding the productive suffix '-ize' to 'human', meaning 'to make human or humane'.

Etymology

Humanize comes from the part human, meaning 'person', and the ending -ize, meaning 'to make'. So, to humanize something is to 'make it human' — to give it kind, caring, or more humane qualities.