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Glite Dictionary
⚡ To divide strongly 🔋 To increase charge 🧲 To boost polarization
to hyperpolarize

to hyperpolarize

9.6
Make opinions or groups become very divided, often in politics
  • verb
  • /ˌhaɪpərˈpoʊləˌraɪz/
translation icon : hiperpolarizar
  • His inflammatory comments hyperpolarized the political landscape, making it difficult for any compromise to be reached.

Examples

  • The recent policy changes only served to hyperpolarize the community, splitting people into two opposing factions.

  • Social media often hyperpolarizes opinions about controversial issues, leading to intense debates and divided viewpoints.

  • In examining the hyperpolarized nature of the debate, it is often useful to offer opposing readings, which I muster each week when teaching globalization.

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

to polarize
vsto hyperpolarize
  • Literature
23 7.2

Make people or groups divide into two opposing sides

is a stronger version that makes divisions much more intense
to drive a wedge
vsto hyperpolarize
13 7.6

To cause people to argue or become divided on purpose

is more extreme producing very deep and lasting splits across groups
to factionalize
vsto hyperpolarize
  • US
1 8.7

To make a group or organization split into smaller groups that disagree

focuses on many internal groups rather than creating extreme two-sided splits
to partisanize
vsto hyperpolarize
  • Formal
1 9.5

To make a person or group strongly support one political side

is broader causing extreme division across institutions not only political support
to polarize opinions
vsto hyperpolarize
  • Literature
7.1

Make people split into groups with opposite views and strong disagreement

is an extreme form causing very deep and widespread division

Antonyms

to unify
65 3.7

To bring people or things together into one group

to reconcile
38 5.1

To become friendly again after a disagreement

How Polarized

to hyperpolarize
9.6
to polarize
  • Literature
23 7.2

Surface Forms

hyperpolarize infinitive
hyperpolarized past
hyperpolarized past participle
hyperpolarizing present participle
hyperpolarizes third person singular

Morphology

hyperpolarize = polarize (semi-transparent) = hyper + polar + ize

The word is clearly built from the intensifying prefix 'hyper-' and the base 'polarize'.

Etymology

Hyperpolarize starts with hyper- meaning 'too much' and uses polarize from polar meaning 'poles' or 'opposite ends', so think of hyperactive and the phrase 'polar opposite' to see the parts. So to hyperpolarize a group is to push people far to opposite sides, making compromise very hard.