moralize
verb
mor·al·ize ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlīz 
ˈmär-
moralized; moralizing
transitive verb
1
: to explain or interpret morally
2
a
: to give a moral quality or direction to
b
: to improve the morals of
intransitive verb
: to make moral reflections
moralization
ˌmȯr-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən
noun ˌmär-
moralizer
ˈmȯr-ə-ˌlī-zər
noun ˈmär-
Example Sentences
an essay moralizing about the evils of alcohol
Recent Examples on the Web And in retrospect, this refusal to moralize makes its comics sort of heroic. 
Scott Bradfield, The New Republic, 16 Dec. 2021 The book doesn’t lecture, moralize or lavishly mourn but rather considers three lives and the meaningful points in those lives where promise stalls, improves or goes south. Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 3 Sep. 2021 In depicting these situations, Krauss is notably dispassionate, reticent to moralize about the men who force women into positions of submission. Timothy Aubry, The New Republic, 17 Dec. 2020 That dismissal also jibes with the music geek’s tendency to moralize suffering: a belief that pleasure needs to be both earned and accounted for. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2020 International conservation and animal welfare organizations are using the outbreak to moralize about the traditional Chinese practice of eating a wider range of animal species than people of European heritage consider acceptable. Robert Dingwall, Wired, 29 Jan. 2020 My job here is not moralizing, just to assess the numbers. Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2020 There’s no such danger in the movie, which offers some of the stories’ more gruesome elements but, by framing them skillfully, moralizes their fabrications by undergirding them with (fictitious) facts. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2019 The more dynamic relationship is between Williams’ moralizing Serena and Blue’s Bess. Crystal Paul, The Seattle Times, 14 Aug. 2018 See More
Scott Bradfield, The New Republic, 16 Dec. 2021 The book doesn’t lecture, moralize or lavishly mourn but rather considers three lives and the meaningful points in those lives where promise stalls, improves or goes south. Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 3 Sep. 2021 In depicting these situations, Krauss is notably dispassionate, reticent to moralize about the men who force women into positions of submission. Timothy Aubry, The New Republic, 17 Dec. 2020 That dismissal also jibes with the music geek’s tendency to moralize suffering: a belief that pleasure needs to be both earned and accounted for. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2020 International conservation and animal welfare organizations are using the outbreak to moralize about the traditional Chinese practice of eating a wider range of animal species than people of European heritage consider acceptable. Robert Dingwall, Wired, 29 Jan. 2020 My job here is not moralizing, just to assess the numbers. Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2020 There’s no such danger in the movie, which offers some of the stories’ more gruesome elements but, by framing them skillfully, moralizes their fabrications by undergirding them with (fictitious) facts. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2019 The more dynamic relationship is between Williams’ moralizing Serena and Blue’s Bess. Crystal Paul, The Seattle Times, 14 Aug. 2018 See More Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
moralizer
noun
1
as in preacher
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- preacher
- lecturer
- catechist
- pedant
- reader
- practice teacher
- student teacher
- doctor
- professor
- academician
- academic
- homeschooler
- academe
- dean
- prof
- interne
- governess
- didact
- intern
- drillmaster
- schoolmarm
- docent
- schoolmistress
- coach
- mentor
- tutor
- don
- regius professor
- trainer
- headmistress
- guide
- mistress
- preparer
- inculcator
- tutoress
- instructress
- guru
- schoolma'am
2
as in moralist
Synonyms & Similar Words
- moralist
- puritan
- prude
- bluenose
- prig
- wowser
- spoilsport
- stuffed shirt
- old maid
- nice nelly
- Mrs. Grundy
- fuddy-duddy
- goody-goody
- Goody Two-shoes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- immoralist
- libertine
- libertarian
- misbehaver