This is another fine word that I found in Richard Dawkins' new book, The God Delusion. I am still reading this book, but because it inspires so many flights of fancy on my part, I have not yet finished it, as I expected.
Aggrandizing (a-grndz) [French agrandir, agrandiss-, from Old French: a- to (from Latin ad-) + grandir, to grow larger (from Latin grandre, from grandis, large)]
verb.
- To increase the scope of; extend.
- To make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation.
- To make appear greater; exaggerate: aggrandize one argument while belittling another.
Usage: Why should a divine being, with creation and eternity on his mind, care a fig for petty human malefactions? We humans give ourselves such airs, even aggrandizing our poky little 'sins' to the level of cosmic significance!
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