sexualize

[ sek-shoo-uh-lahyzor, especially British, seks-yoo- ]

verb (used with object)

, sex·u·al·ized, sex·u·al·iz·ing.

1. to render sexual; endow with sexual characteristics.

sexualize

/ ˈsɛksjʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to make or become sexual or sexually aware
2. to give or acquire sexual associations

Derived Forms

• ˌsexualiˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• sex·u·al·i·za·tion [sek-shoo-, uh, -lahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n, seks-yoo-] especially British, sex·u·al·i·sa·tion noun
• de·sex·u·al·ize especially British, de·sex·u·al·ise verb (used with object) desexualized desexualizing or (especially British) desexualised desexualising

Word History and Origins

Origin of sexualize¹

First recorded in 1830–40; sexual + -ize

Example Sentences

Though her design was sexualized, Croft was a powerful, glamorous woman to be feared and admired.

From Washington Post

In the book, the last text — the sexualized texts that Tricia has gotten was probably around Easter day.

From FiveThirtyEight

We need to stop sexualizing women in sports and start to appreciate their performance.

From Outside Online

From youth pastors finding a new conduit for conversion to believers taking sexualized trends and turning them wholesome, TikTok has a proselytizing subsect — albeit one that is pretty easily ignored if you just keep on swiping.

From Ozy

Kikuchi played Chieko Wataya, who is deaf and mute and does not have any speaking lines, and whose role was also sexualized.

From Time

This maternal sensuality, she adds, is in no way an attempt to sexualize her children or herself.

From The Daily Beast

Here, Donigan seems to sexualize their work, and inject some gender and power issues into their art-about-art premises.

From The Daily Beast