awfulize

English

Etymology

From awful +β€Ž -ize.

Verb

awfulize (third-person singular simple present awfulizes, present participle awfulizing, simple past and past participle awfulized)

  1. (intransitive, psychotherapy, psychology) To react dramatically or catastrophically to distressing events.
    • 2010, Michael E. Bernard, Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness: The Legacy of Albert Ellis:
      Now, when you awfulize you go beyond that and tell yourself, instead β€œIt's horrible, awful and terrible!” You then mean several things, all of which are clearly unprovable and which any self-respecting Martian with an IQ of 100 could easily see through.

Derived terms