Aggrandizer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who amplifies their own influence or reputation often through questionable means
2. A person who pursues personal enhancement of status or authority, frequently disregarding the impact on others
3. A person who seeks to increase their own power or prestige, often in ways that negatively affect those around them

Etymology: Aggrandizer is a simple formation: the verb "aggrandize" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, meaning one who aggrandizes. The verb itself is the more interesting part. It came into English from French "agrandir," which goes back to Old French "grant" ("great," from Latin "grandis"), and the French verb was built by adding a prefix "a-" to the root meaning "to make larger." English took "aggrandize" from that French source, and the "-ize" ending came in through Late Latin "-izare," a Greek-derived verb-making suffix that spread through French and into English. The prefix "a-" is the detail that gives the word its character. It comes from Latin "ad-," meaning "toward," so the original sense is roughly "to make toward greatness," which is close to how the word still feels. The English noun "aggrandizer" then adds "-er" to name the person doing the making bigger, a common pattern for turning verbs into doers.

Synonyms: exaggerator, boaster, magnifier, enhancer, elevater

Antonyms: diminisher, belittler, downgrader, deflater, understater