ennoble

/ɪˈnoʊbəl/

Other forms: ennobled; ennobling; ennobles

To ennoble someone is to make them a Lord or a Baroness — to bestow a noble title upon them. The Queen of England has the power to ennoble people, turning Paul McCartney into Sir Paul McCartney, for example.

One way to use the verb ennoble is to mean, literally, "make someone a noble or a member of the nobility." It can also mean "bestow or lend dignity to" or "make dignified." You could say, "Reading great books ennobles the mind," or "Treating others with kindness ennobles a person." Ennoble comes from the Old French ennoblir, from the prefix en-, "put in," and the Latin root nobilis, "excellent, superior, or splendid."

Definitions of ennoble

1. verb

   give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility
   synonyms: entitle, gentle

   types:

   baronetise, baronetize

   confer baronetcy upon

   lord

   make a lord of someone

   dub, knight

   raise (someone) to knighthood

   type of:

   advance, elevate, kick upstairs, promote, raise, upgrade

   give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
2. verb

   confer dignity or honor upon
   synonyms: dignify

   type of:

   honor, honour, reward

   bestow honor or rewards upon