What does demonising mean?
Demonising means portraying a person, group, organisation, or idea as evil, sinister, or morally dangerous. It is especially used for rhetoric or behaviour that reduces complex people or issues to frightening or hateful caricatures. The word is commonly encountered in discussions of politics, media, religion, and public controversy, where it identifies a process of stigmatisation rather than merely a harsh criticism. For example, accusing a newspaper of demonising immigrants suggests that its reporting presents them not as individuals but as a threatening category. The expression carries a strongly condemnatory tone and implies that the portrayal is unjustified, exaggerated, or calculated to provoke fear. As the British present participle of demonise, demonising is also used in progressive constructions, such as “the minister accused opponents of demonising critics,” and in gerund constructions referring to the activity itself. In US English, the corresponding spelling is generally demonizing.
verb (present participle and gerund)To portray or treat someone or something as demonic, evil, or morally dangerous, especially in a way that encourages fear or hostility. It can also refer more broadly to the act of making someone or something seem inherently sinister or corrupt.
- To portray or treat someone or something as evil, morally corrupt, or dangerously sinister, often so that fear or hostility toward them is justified.
"The newspaper was accused of demonising immigrants by portraying them as a threat to public safety."
"The speech was criticised for demonising minority communities as threats to the nation."
"Careful reporting can expose wrongdoing without demonising an entire profession."
To demonise is to turn a person into a caricature: the individual disappears, replaced by a symbol of fear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does demonising come from?
The English word demon comes through Latin from Greek daimōn, meaning a lesser deity or spirit; in medieval Christian usage, the term acquired the sense of an evil supernatural being. The verb demonise was formed in English by combining this noun with the suffix -ise, which is used to form verbs meaning “to make” or “to treat as.” Its modern sense of portraying someone as evil developed from the older religious idea of demons and their moral character. Related English words include demon, demonic, daemonic, and demonology.
Related word forms
How demonising is actually used
The term is generally critical or analytical: it describes the act of stigmatising someone and often implies that the portrayal is unfair, exaggerated, or deliberately inflammatory. In British spelling, demonise, demonised, and demonisation are standard; US English usually uses demonize, demonized, and demonization.
Easily confused with demonising
Demonising is the British spelling, while demonizing is the usual American spelling; both forms have the same meaning.