A word to make something bad sound good

Question

Lets say we are talking about a book about teens that drink. In the book, the teens have fun and nothing bad ever happens. It's disguising it as a good thing, it's supporting it and it's making it sound good.

What word would you use to describe what the book is doing to teen drinking?

teenagers often drink and have fun without anything bad happening. it doesn't sound like the book is disguising anything - just telling a story about something that happens in real life every day. unless the book actively supports the behavior or makes it sound good (through an all-knowing narrator or something), i don't think this question applies. a book that depicts teens who drink without negative consequences doesn't necessarily support the behavior. — user428517, Oct 21 '14 at 21:51
romanticising hasn't been mentioned yet .. deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; make (something) seem better or more appealing than it really is — wim, Oct 21 '14 at 22:11
See the terminology used in the answers to this question: Positive euphemisms for desert?. Try "positive connotation". — dotancohen, Oct 22 '14 at 10:16
@wim -- Please make that an answer. Romanticize is exactly what the OP is shooting for. From Google (as in literally from Google; from that little box they often pop up if you google a single word): Romanticize: deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; make (something) seem better or more appealing than it really is. — ruffin, Oct 22 '14 at 13:00

score 63 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 21 '14 at 07:33

63

Sugarcoating is one possibility -- if the book is "sugar-coating" teenage drinking, it is taking something negative and adding a superficial positive sheen. Merriam-Webster:

to talk about or describe (something) in a way that makes it seem more pleasant or acceptable than it is

Glamorizing is another -- to glamorize is to take something that is neutral, or maybe negative, and imbue it with more of a glamorous aspect than it might deserve. Oxford:

Make (something) seem glamorous or desirable, especially spuriously so

I think either of the above would convey your meaning in this context.

edited Oct 21 '14 at 07:33

200_success

6,958

answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:35

McGarnagle

882

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Glamorizing is a good, straight-forward term for the concept. Perhaps not as "catchy" as one would like. – Hot Licks Oct 22 '14 at 00:37
Glamorize is what come closest in my world, closely followed by glorify. – dalgard May 29 '15 at 23:58

score 41 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:35

41

The term glorify means

Describe or represent as admirable, especially unjustifiably or undeservedly: a football video glorifying violence [Oxford Dictionaries Online]

answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:35

bib

72,782

score 15 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:39

15

Here are some possibilities:

justifying
excusing
promoting
rationalizing
papering over
glossing over
condoning
whitewashing

I think whitewashing is probably the best choice.

answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:39

Aaron Endelman

591

2

I agree with whitewashing, rationalizing, and glossing over, but they are used in slightly different ways. Your answer would be improved by providing some explanation and links to definitions. – choster Oct 21 '14 at 01:45
Really like whitewashing, even if it doesn't apply in all usages. Physically, it is "making something appear better" by applying a coat of whitewash. Note that there's not an implication that the item being whitewashed is better, but there is an implication that it appears to be better afterwards. In your example, the book attempts to whitewash teen drinking. – Edwin Buck Oct 21 '14 at 08:01
Trivialising could possibly be used as well. – Nigel Ellis Oct 21 '14 at 15:06
I agree with the comment of Nigel Ellis above: 'Trivialising' is the first that popped to my mind (wanted to upvote his comment but can't due to insufficient reputation). – Nick Oct 22 '14 at 00:27
This answer has two or three excellent terms but there are no links, explanations, or definitions. Such a shame. – Mari-Lou A Oct 23 '14 at 09:22

score 8 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 21 '14 at 21:17

8

Euphemism: A mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive. (from "Merriam Webster")

answered Oct 21 '14 at 21:17

space ace

181

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"Euphemism" doesn't really fit with what OP is looking for, although one of its derivatives does: Euphemize – AndyPerfect Oct 22 '14 at 18:34

Shah · Answer 5 · 2014-10-21T07:46:24.457

3

Destigmatize might be the word you are looking for. Opposite of stigmatize. "destigmatize violence" returns about 700 results in Google.

destigmatize: to remove associations of shame or disgrace from
Merriam-Webster

edited Oct 21 '14 at 07:46

answered Oct 21 '14 at 02:04

Shah

852
4
13
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Tyler James Young · Answer 6 · 2014-10-22T16:07:27.397

In addition to the upvoted answers (I often hear “glorify” used this way in AmE, possibly due to the Hays Code), I’d like to add the concepts of sympathetic portrayal and sentimentalization.

You could say that the book cast underage drinking in a sympathetic light or that the book offered a sympathetic portrayal of teenage alcohol consumption.

sym·pa·thet·ic
adjective

: having or showing support for or approval of something

: having pleasant or appealing qualities : causing feelings of sympathy

[. . .]

a : showing empathy

b : arousing sympathy or compassion
a sympathetic role in the play

_{Source: Merriam-Webster definition of “sympathetic”}

“Sentimentalization” is not particularly apt for your specific case, but might be useful to others with a similar question.

sentimentalize
[transitive, intransitive]
sentimentalize (something)
(disapproving)

to present something in an emotional way, emphasizing its good aspects and not mentioning its bad aspects

Jackie was careful not to sentimentalize country life.

_{Source: Definition of “sentimentalize” from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary}

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Oct 22 '14 at 11:23

bib's suggestion of glorify, and McGarnagle's glamourise are obviously superb.

Below are a few others words that - at least in one of their meanings - specifically convey undeserved or excessive praise. All definitions/links from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com. Example sentences mine....

aggrandise: enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts - "the book aggrandised the reckless, wanton behaviour"
dignifies: Give an impressive name to (someone or something unworthy of it) - "the book dignifies drunkenness as some manifestation of personal freedoms"
idealise: Regard or represent as perfect or better than in reality

And another that isn't necessarily unwarranted praise, but would imply that pretty clearly if describing such a book:

poeticise: to give a poetic quality to

score 1 · Answer 8 · edited Nov 02 '20 at 12:38

1

If you want a fancy word for it, I suggest edulcorate.

Edulcorate: Make (something) more acceptable or palatable

Example: The traditional folk song is today often edulcorated by unwarranted accompaniments.

[Lexico]

edited Nov 02 '20 at 12:38

Decapitated Soul

16,598

answered Nov 02 '20 at 07:54

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I didn't think this would be in the mainstream dictionaries, before I checked. But if you'd added a quote from Lexico say (linked and attributed), I'd have been quite prepared to upvote. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 02 '20 at 11:40
Mr. Edwin Ashworth: Thank you. You may upvote now. :) – Nov 02 '20 at 12:34
But I had to do the research myself. I'll think about this. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 02 '20 at 12:44

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:33

0

Talking it up. Dressing it up. Putting it in a good light.

answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:33

shipr

1,756

Please give a rationale for why those phrases work. – Matt E. Эллен Oct 23 '14 at 09:40

score 0 · Answer 10 · answered Oct 21 '14 at 15:34

not mentioned yet:

exalting
extenuating
palliating

neutral:

describing
portraying
depicting

neologisms and creative solutions:

innocenting
naivizing / naivicing / naivising, naiving
anglizing / anglising / anglicing – antonym to demonizing, not to be confused with anglicizing)
depuritanizing or repurposed purifying
evangelizing – if it’s close to promoting
subliming – ditto
madmenning > madboying, madkidding, madyouthing – pop culture reference, to expire soon
deconsequencing, asequencing, nonsequencing … – leaving out consequences
roseglassing – as in through rose-colored glasses
unicorning, rainbowing – similar to sugar-coating
stonering – as in stoner movies
targetdemographicing
politicianizing – make sound or appear politically correct
spindoctoring or repurposed spinning or doctoring
truthbending
ebaying, fleamarketing

score -6 · Answer 11 · answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:50

-6

I don't believe a single word would capture what you are describing. Languages don't usually work that way. It is neither necessary nor desirable to try to condense every concept into a single term. From what you say, the book is doing nothing to teen drinking. It simply omits any description of the dangers.

answered Oct 21 '14 at 01:50

Ornello

910

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In the future, if you don't think that there's an answer that satisfies a question, at least wait long enough to see if others can find an answer before declaring it improbable or impossible, please. – kettlecrab Oct 21 '14 at 18:29

A word to make something bad sound good

11 Answers11