moralize

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   To make moral reflections (on, upon, about or over something)

   To make moral reflections (on, upon, about or over something); to regard acts and events as involving a moral.

   • One hoped, and the other despaired: they chose their own lots, and were righteously doomed to endure them. But you’ll not want to hear my moralising, Mr. Lockwood; you’ll judge, as well as I can, all these things:
2. 2

   To say (something) expressing a moral reflection or judgment.

   • “Unless I heard the whole repeated, I cannot continue it,” she said. / “Yet it was quickly learned, ‘soon gained, soon gone,’” moralized the tutor.
   • 1929, Virginia Woolf, “Geraldine and Jane” in The Common Reader, Second Series, London: The Hogarth Press, 1935, p. 191, “The more one loves, the more helpless one feels”, she moralised.
   • A Cake Related Fatphobic Incident — or CRFI for short — is that moment when it's time to eat delicious cake, and an otherwise joyous experience gets ruined by a moralizing impulse.
3. 3

   To render moral

   To render moral; to correct the morals of; to give the appearance of morality to.

   • Let gratefull Aromatick odours burne, Let pious incense smoake, for the returne Of Great Flaminius, in whom abide More Art, then raised Athens to her pride, More civill Ethicks he containe, then may Well moralize all sauage India.
   • In estimating the value of cotton, its capacity to excite industry among the lower classes of people […] is of high importance. It has had a large share in moralizing the poor white people of the country.
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   1. 4

      To give a moral quality to

      To give a moral quality to; to affect the moral quality of, either for better or worse.

      • He makes no attempt to moralize his gods or to pass any moral judgement upon them.
   2. 5

      To apply to a moral purpose

      To apply to a moral purpose; to explain in a moral sense; to draw a moral from.

      • Did he not moralize this spectacle?
      • This Fable is so well known that it is Moralliz’d in a Common Proverb.
   3. 6

      To supply with moral lessons, teachings, or examples

      To supply with moral lessons, teachings, or examples; to lend a moral to.

      • Kind Nature’s charities his steps attend, In every babbling brook he finds a friend, While chast’ning thoughts of sweetest use, bestowed By Wisdom, moralize his pensive road.

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