cosmeticize

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2010 is: cosmeticize • \kahz-MET-uh-syze\  • verb : to make (something unpleasant or ugly) superficially attractive Examples: The authors of the legislation have cosmeticized it with tax breaks and tax cuts. Did you know? "Cosmeticize" first appeared in print in the early 19th century as a descendant of the noun "cosmetic." Originally, its use was often literal, with the meaning "to apply a cosmetic to," but today it is often used figuratively. "Cosmeticize" does occasionally draw criticism; usage commentators are sometimes irritated by verbs coined using "-ize" as they can sound like silly, nonce words. "Cosmeticize" is fairly well-established, however, in contrast with the two other, rarer verbs that have been derived from "cosmetic": "cosmetize," which often turns up in the literal sense ("cosmetize the face"), and "cosmetic," which can be literal or figurative ("cosmeticked with bright rouge"; "embellished and cosmeticked"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.