immortalize
gb/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz/ us/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz/
C1
English
halhatatlanná tesz, megörökít, örök életet ad
VERB
C1
1
Usage pattern:
immortalize [someone/something]
The book immortalized her as a fearless pioneer of civil rights.
A könyv a polgárjogi küzdelem rettenthetetlen úttörőjeként halhatatlanná tette őt.
That one speech immortalized him in the public imagination.
Az az egy beszéd halhatatlanná tette őt a közvélemény szemében.
The scandal didn’t define her career, but the comeback immortalized her resilience.
Learner examples
The movie immortalized the athlete.
A film halhatatlanná tette a sportolót.
This song immortalized their love.
Ez a dal halhatatlanná tette a szerelmüket.
Common mistake:
Often confused with simply 'remember'; immortalize implies lasting, widely shared remembrance.
Meaning
make remembered forever
Collocations
immortalize a legend
|immortalize a hero
|immortalize a name
|immortalize a moment
|immortalize an achievement
|immortalize a victory
|immortalize a scene
|immortalize a performance
|immortalize someone
|immortalize something
Synonyms
commemorate (Emphasizes honoring, often with ceremonies or memorials.)
|
enshrine (Suggests giving something a protected, revered place in memory or tradition.)
|
perpetuate (Focuses on making something continue or endure over time.)
|
make famous (Focuses on fame rather than long-term remembrance.)
Antonyms
forget (The opposite outcome: not being remembered.)
|
obscure (To keep something from being known or remembered.)
Themes
culture
|history
|media
|arts
Definition
To make people remember someone or something forever.
To make a person, event, or thing famous or remembered permanently.
VERB
C1
2
megörökít
B2
Usage pattern:
immortalize [someone/something] (in [art/medium])
The photographer immortalized the couple’s first dance in a single shot.
A fotós egyetlen felvételen örökítette meg a pár első táncát.
The mural immortalizes the neighborhood’s history in vivid color.
A falfestmény élénk színekkel örökíti meg a környék történetét.
Her diaries immortalized everyday life during the war.
Learner examples
He immortalized the view in a photo.
A látványt egy fotón örökítette meg.
She immortalized her grandmother in a portrait.
A nagymamáját egy portrén örökítette meg.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse it for any photo/video; it usually implies special importance or lasting value.
Meaning
preserve in art or record
Collocations
immortalize in a photograph
|immortalize on film
|immortalize in paint
|immortalize in a portrait
|immortalize in print
|immortalize in literature
|immortalize in stone
|immortalize in a statue
|immortalize in a poem
|immortalize the landscape
Synonyms
capture (More general; can be temporary or not especially significant.)
|
record (Neutral and factual; less sense of lasting fame or honor.)
|
depict (Focuses on showing in art, not necessarily preserving for posterity.)
Antonyms
erase (To remove or wipe out a record or trace.)
|
destroy (To eliminate the thing or its record so it cannot remain.)
Themes
arts
|media
|photography
|literature
Definition
To record someone or something so it lasts for a long time.
To capture and preserve someone or something in a lasting form such as a photo, painting, film, or writing.
VERB
C2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
immortalize [someone]
In the legend, the goddess immortalized him as a reward for his courage.
A legendában az istennő bátorságáért jutalmul halhatatlanná tette őt.
The elixir was said to immortalize anyone who drank it.
Azt mondták, hogy az elixír halhatatlanná tesz bárkit, aki megissza.
The spell could immortalize the hero—or destroy him.
Learner examples
In the story, the potion immortalized him.
A történetben az ital halhatatlanná tette őt.
Common mistake:
In everyday English, this sense is rare; most uses mean “make remembered forever.”
Meaning
make someone live forever
Collocations
immortalize the soul
|immortalize the body
|immortalize a character
|immortalize a warrior
|immortalize through magic
Synonyms
make immortal (Direct paraphrase; most common way to express this idea.)
|
render immortal (More formal/literary phrasing.)
Antonyms
kill (Ends life; the opposite of giving eternal life.)
|
make mortal (To remove immortality or subject to death.)
Themes
fiction
|religion
|mythology
Definition
To make someone live forever.
To make someone immortal, especially by giving eternal life in a story, religion, or fantasy setting.
Grammar
Dictionary form
immortalize
IPA
GB/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz/
US/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz/
Syllables & stress
im - mor - tal - ize (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mor)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: immortalize
- 3rd Person Singular: immortalizes
- Present Participle: immortalizing
- Past: immortalized
Word family
Forms
immortalizes
verb
immortalizing
verb
immortalized
verb
Core family
immortal
adjective B2
immortality
noun B2
Related words
immortalization
noun
mortality
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
mortal
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
mortally
adverb
Expressions
immortalize someone in a statue
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn ə stˈæt͡ʃˌu/
fixed phrase
honor with a statue
To make a statue to remember someone forever.
Examples
- The city immortalized her in a statue in the main square.
- They proposed to immortalize the founder in a statue outside the museum.
Learner examples
- The town immortalized him in a statue.
immortalize the moment
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪz ðə mˈoʊmənt/
fixed phrase
preserve a special moment
To take a photo or video of a special moment.
Examples
- They raised their phones to immortalize the moment.
- We took one last picture to immortalize the moment before leaving.
Learner examples
- I took a photo to immortalize the moment.
immortalized in history
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪzd ˈɪn hˈɪstɚi/
fixed phrase
remembered permanently in history
Remembered forever as part of history.
Examples
- The discovery immortalized her in history as one of the great scientists of her era.
- The protest was immortalized in history as a turning point.
Learner examples
- He was immortalized in history.
immortalized in print
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪzd ˈɪn pɹˈɪnt/
fixed phrase
preserved in written form
Written down in a way that lasts.
Examples
- The quote was immortalized in print and repeated for years.
- Local recipes were immortalized in print in a community cookbook.
Learner examples
- Her advice was immortalized in print.
immortalized in song
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪzd ˈɪn sˈɔŋ/
fixed phrase
made famous by a song
Remembered forever because of a song.
Examples
- The small town was immortalized in song and drew tourists for decades.
- Her heartbreak was immortalized in song on her best-selling album.
Learner examples
- Their story was immortalized in song.
immortalized on film
1/ɪmˈɔɹtəlaɪzd ˈɔn fˈɪlm/
fixed phrase
preserved in a movie recording
Recorded on video so it lasts.
Examples
- Their last performance was immortalized on film by a documentary crew.
- The moment was immortalized on film and shared worldwide.
Learner examples
- The goal was immortalized on film.