''transmogrify'' ▫ᴱᴺ Entries

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''transmogrify'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260606185347-00-⌔

transmogrify - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Verb

transmogrify (third-person singular simple present transmogrifies, present participle transmogrifying, simple past and past participle transmogrified)

• (transitive, often humorous) To substantially or completely alter the form of.
  • ✤ Synonyms: transform, transmute; see also Thesaurus: convert
  • ✤ Hypernyms: alter, change
  • ✤ Our present Governors (who have transmografide Monarchy into a Free State)…¹
  • ✤ Separateness in selfist thought is transmogrified into a perverted freedom (or set of freedoms), themselves devoid of attendant responsibilities.²
  • ✤ For the better, if you ask the seven unlucky sods who originally died, and are now explosively alive. For the worse, if you ask the billions of ordinary people now in daily danger of being atomized, brainwashed, or transmogrified into gooey flesh-sculptures.³
• (intransitive, often humorous) To completely alter one’s form.
  • ✤ Synonyms: transform, transmute; see also Thesaurus: transmogrify
  • ✤ Hypernyms: alter, change
  • ✤ “Just set the dial to”Calvin”, and I’ll transmogrify back to a boy.”⁴
  • ✤ But ‘Hamilton,’ directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just be about worth it—at least to anyone who wants proof that the American musical is not only surviving but also evolving in ways that should allow it to thrive and transmogrify in years to come.⁵

Etymology

17th century; origin uncertain, but possibly from transmigure, transmigrate. It is also possible that this word is a formation derived from maugre, hence it originally signified the “evil eye”, but under the influence of the former etymologies shifted its meaning to its sense of “transformation”. Another possibility is a humorous blending of transfigure and modify.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /tɹænzˈmɒɡɹɪfaɪ/
• (General American) IPA: /tɹænzˈmɑɡɹɪfaɪ/
  • Audio (US): 🔊
• Audio (Australian): 🔊

Printed 2026-06-28.

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Footnotes

1. 1652, n.a. [Isabel Yeamans], The Year of Wonders ‎${}^{[1]}$, London: George Horton, page 10: ↩

2. 2018, Michael J. DeValve, Tammy S. Garland, Elizabeth Q. Wright, A Unified Theory of Justice and Crime, page 7: ↩

3. 2023 September 14, HarryBlank, “The Breach Goes On: Wrong Tomorrow Hub”, in SCP Foundation ‎${}^{[2]}$, archived from the original on 6 October 2024: ↩

4. 1987 April 2, Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes (comic): ↩

5. 2015 August 5, “Review: `Hamilton,’ Young Rebels Changing History and Theater”, in The New York Times: ↩

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