Unromanticize

To view or portray something in a way that is devoid of or minimizes romantic ideals, sentimentality, or idealized notions; to strip something of its exaggerated or unrealistic aspects and focus on the practicalities, complexities, or less glamorous realities. This can involve examining a person, situation, historical event, or concept with a critical and objective lens, challenging idealized representations and highlighting flaws, difficulties, or less aesthetically pleasing elements. The act of unromanticizing seeks a more accurate, balanced, and often less flattering depiction. It often involves a shift from fantasy to realism, often with a focus on the authentic truth regardless of its appeal.

Unromanticize meaning with examples

• Historians began to unromanticize the Wild West, revealing that it was often a brutal and chaotic time of economic hardship, violence, and racial injustice, rather than the glamorous, adventurous era portrayed in popular culture. This shifted the focus to the lives of ordinary settlers and the challenges they faced.
• She decided to unromanticize her ideal of the perfect relationship, acknowledging that intimacy involves compromise and effort rather than simply a fairytale, enabling a better realistic expectation for future partnerships and less disappointment.
• The documentary aimed to unromanticize the lives of famous artists, showing them dealing with financial struggles, mental health challenges, and the mundane aspects of their daily routines, to highlight their very human struggles.
• The journalist's report sought to unromanticize the glamour of the celebrity lifestyle, presenting the reader with the demanding schedules, media scrutiny, and personal sacrifices, shifting the public's perception.
• When writing her novel, the author chose to unromanticize the war by focusing on the grim realities of combat, including the fear, trauma, and psychological toll, rather than the heroic narratives found in older works. Her goal was to make the reader feel closer to the reality of the situation.