What does anathematising mean?
Anathematising is the British-English present participle of anathematise, a verb meaning to declare someone cursed or to condemn them with exceptional hostility. It often implies that the target is not merely disliked but portrayed as evil, wicked, or deserving of divine punishment. The word is especially associated with religious disputation and fierce political or ideological polemic, although modern usage can be rhetorical rather than literally theological. For example, a writer might accuse a polemicist of “anathematising” an entire political faction. The expression is conspicuously strong and formal, so using it for ordinary criticism usually creates irony or deliberate exaggeration. Its historical roots lie in the Christian concept of the anathema, a formal condemnation or curse, ultimately derived from Greek terminology for a thing devoted or offered up. Today, anathematising retains the aura of a solemn curse even when used figuratively.
verbThe present participle of anathematise: to declare someone accursed or condemn them emphatically, especially by branding them as inherently evil.
- To declare someone accursed, or to condemn them with extreme hostility as wicked or despicable.
"The sermon was notorious for anathematising its political opponents as enemies of the faith."
"The pamphlet spent several pages anathematising the government as a corrupt and Godless regime."
"Rather than anathematising her opponent, the speaker chose to dismiss the accusation as foolish."
Before coming to mean a curse, the Greek word anathēma could refer to an offering devoted to a deity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anathematising
The word derives through Latin from Greek anathematizein, “to pronounce anathema” or “declare accursed.” Greek anathēma could originally denote something offered up, especially a sacred offering, before acquiring the sense of a curse or object of hostility. Its development is closely associated with theological condemnation and religious controversy.
Related word forms
How anathematising is actually used
A formal, literary, and often deliberately confrontational word with strong religious or ideological associations. It is chiefly found in polemical writing, historical prose, and denunciatory rhetoric; the American spelling is “anathematizing.”