MEANING
1. To condemn or denounce someone or something in exceptionally strong terms.
2. To condemn or curse in a religious context, sometimes through a formal anathema.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- anathematize an idea
- anathematize an opponent
On the page
The editorial anathematized compromise while quietly relying on it.
He anathematized the policy before anyone had explained its actual terms.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- anathematize
- Past tense
- anathematized
- Past participle
- anathematized
- Present participle
- anathematizing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- anathematize
- Present continuous
- am/is/are anathematizing
- Present perfect
- have/has anathematized
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been anathematizing
- Past
- anathematized
- Past continuous
- was/were anathematizing
- Past perfect
- had anathematized
- Past perfect continuous
- had been anathematizing
- Future
- will anathematize
- Future continuous
- will be anathematizing
- Future perfect
- will have anathematized
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been anathematizing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: anathematize; anathematizes; anathematized; anathematized; anathematizing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: anathematizes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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