deglorify
Remove from pedestal
To deglorify is to strip away glory, honor, or romanticized status from something.
The word typically applies to war, violence, or cultural heroes, aiming to present them without the usual heroic veneer: The documentary sought to deglorify combat by showing its psychological toll.
The opposite of glorify, it suggests deliberate removal of admiration rather than mere criticism.
Explain something confusing
- debunkExpose as false
- deconstructAnalyze by breaking down
- exposeMake known publicly
- unmaskReveal true identity
deflate · puncture · disillusion · challenge · scrutinize · reassess · humanize · reexamine
Remove from religious control
- demythologizeStrip away mythic status
- profaneIrreverent toward the sacred
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- heresyBelief opposing official doctrine
blasphemy · apostasy · doubt · skepticism · humanist · rational · disenchant · mundane
Reexamining established doctrine
- reappraisalNew assessment of value
- decolonizeEnd foreign rule
- statuesThree-dimensional sculpted likenesses
- monumentsStructures commemorating notable achievements
renaming · reckoning · legacy · heroes · founders · mythology · narrative · whitewashing
Opposed to armed conflict
- pacifismAntiwar moral stance
- disenchantmentLoss of cherished belief
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- PTSDChronic reaction to horrific events
casualties · atrocities · propaganda · recruitment · veterans · combat · battlefield · heroism
demystify
Explain something confusing
- debunkExpose as false
- deconstructAnalyze by breaking down
- exposeMake known publicly
unmask · deflate · puncture · disillusion · challenge · scrutinize · reassess · humanize · reexamine · question
secularize
Remove from religious control
- demythologizeStrip away mythic status
- profaneIrreverent toward the sacred
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
heresy · blasphemy · apostasy · doubt · skepticism · humanist · rational · disenchant · mundane · earthly
revisionism
Reexamining established doctrine
- reappraisalNew assessment of value
- decolonizeEnd foreign rule
- statuesThree-dimensional sculpted likenesses
monuments · renaming · reckoning · legacy · heroes · founders · mythology · narrative · whitewashing · sanitize
antiwar
Opposed to armed conflict
- pacifismAntiwar moral stance
- disenchantmentLoss of cherished belief
- traumaLasting psychological wound
PTSD · casualties · atrocities · propaganda · recruitment · veterans · combat · battlefield · heroism · sacrifice