sensationalize
sen-SAY-shun-ul-ayz
/sɛnˈseɪ.ʃən.əl.aɪz/
To present news or information in an exaggerated, emotional, or provocative manner to excite public interest.
Implies sacrificing objective accuracy for emotional impact.
The story behind the word. Derived from 'sensation', coming from Latin 'sensus' (feeling). In the mid-19th century, critics coined 'sensationalize' to describe cheap 'penny press' newspapers hyping crime stories to stimulate raw physical feelings in readers.
Word relationships
- melodromatize: 'Melodramatize' focuses on exaggerated personal emotion, while 'sensationalize' focuses on hyped public reporting.
- exaggerate: 'Exaggerate' simply means making something seem larger, whereas 'sensationalize' specifically aims to provoke shock or excitement.
- understate: To present facts cautiously and with deliberate restraint.
Commonly confused with
- sanitize: 'Sanitize' means cleaning up controversial facts to make them less offensive, the opposite of hyping them up.
Word family
- sensationalism (noun): The use of shocking stories at the expense of accuracy.
- sensational (adjective): Causing great public excitement or interest.
Collocations
- sensationalize the news
- tendency to sensationalize
- sensationalize events
- sensationalized coverage
Idioms & expressions
- make a mountain out of a molehill
- blow out of proportion
Example sentences
- "Tabloids tend to sensationalize minor celebrity disagreements into full-scale feuds." Media critique
- "Researchers warned journalists not to sensationalize early laboratory trial results before peer review." Scientific reporting
Memory hook
SENSATIONALIZE = Turn quiet facts into loud SENSATIONS. Hyping facts for emotional drama.
When not to use
Do not use when describing genuine emergencies where high drama is appropriate and factually true.
Fun facts
- 19th-century 'Yellow Journalism' feuds between Pulitzer and Hearst heavily relied on sensationalizing the Spanish-American War to sell daily papers.
Explore more words
sensationalism, editorialize, glamorize, muckraking, propaganda, tabloid
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