Prosaicize

To render something commonplace, ordinary, or lacking in imaginative qualities; to make something dull and matter-of-fact. This often involves stripping away elements of artistry, emotion, or fantasy, transforming something poetic or imaginative into a more pedestrian form. It suggests a process of demystification or simplification that can sometimes diminish the original impact or beauty of the subject matter, focusing more on practicalities and reality. This can be applicable to language, art, or even experiences.

Prosaicize meaning with examples

• The poet felt a sense of dread as his publisher tried to prosaicize his verses by simplifying the language and removing the more evocative metaphors, resulting in a flat and uninspiring final draft. The changes drained the life out of the poem, leaving only a shell of the original work's beauty.
• The director's attempt to prosaicize the fantastical novel for the screen by grounding all of the story's imaginative elements in cold, hard logic alienated much of the audience, many lamenting the loss of the book's magic. The adaptation became too ordinary, losing its appeal.
• The professor's lecture on the subject aimed to prosaicize the philosophical concepts to ensure comprehension. Though this method offered clarity, the students felt that they also lost some of the beauty and ambiguity of the original thinkers' complex ideas through this approach.
• The chef worried that the food critic intended to prosaicize his innovative tasting menu by providing a detailed list of ingredients, which would take away from the dining experience and reduce it to a scientific explanation, rather than an artistic endeavor.