demonizing
Making someone monstrous
Demonizing is portraying someone or something as evil, dangerous, or worthy of contempt.
The word implies exaggeration or unfairness—turning opponents into monsters rather than engaging their actual positions: Politicians demonizing immigrants, The media has been demonizing the industry for years.
The participle works as both verb and adjective: a demonizing campaign.
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- targetObject of pursuit
- fall guyOne blamed for others
- whipping boyDesignated recipient of punishment
patsy · victim · sacrifice · persecution · witch-hunt · red scare · othering · outgroup
Attack someone's reputation
- denigrateCriticize unfairly to harm
- defameHarm reputation falsely
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- libelPrinted defamation
smear · disparage · malign · calumniate · revile · traduce · besmirch · denounce
Intentional deceptive falsehoods
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
- fearmongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated threats
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- agitpropPolitical art for causes
spin · smear campaign · mudslinging · incitement · sensationalism · hate speech · dog whistle · radicalization
scapegoating
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
whipping boy · patsy · victim · sacrifice · persecution · witch-hunt · red scare · othering · outgroup · pariah
vilify
Attack someone's reputation
libel · smear · disparage · malign · calumniate · revile · traduce · besmirch · denounce · condemn
disinformation
Intentional deceptive falsehoods
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
- fearmongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated threats
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
agitprop · spin · smear campaign · mudslinging · incitement · sensationalism · hate speech · dog whistle · radicalization · inflammatory
monster
Frightening imaginary creature
menace · devil · fiend · boogeyman · antichrist · evil · wicked · malevolent · sinister · nefarious
- intimidationthreats, threatening, menacing, intimidate, bullying
- intolerantbigoted, biased, prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant
- vilificationvilification, vilifying, demonisation, stigmatizing, stigmatization
- reproachesblaming, scolding, rebuking, reprimanding, censuring
demonizingglorifying
Praising to excess
lionizing · venerating · sanctifying · canonizing · exalting
demonizingexcusing
Forgiving a transgression
whitewashing · defending · rationalizing · downplaying · forgiving
demon, demons, demonic, demonize, demonized, demonise, demonizes, demonically, demonised