'antimonize' originates from the English noun 'antimony' (from Old French 'antimoine' and Medieval Latin 'antimonium') combined with the productive suffix '-ize' (from Greek '-izein' via Latin), where 'antimony' referred to the chemical element used in alloys and coatings and '-ize' meant 'to make' or 'to render'.

'antimony' entered English from Old French 'antimoine' and Medieval Latin 'antimonium', ultimately influenced by Arabic 'al-ithmid' (a name for stibnite, the common ore of antimony). The verb 'antimonize' was formed in English by adding the suffix '-ize' to the noun 'antimony'.

Initially related specifically to working with or naming the element antimony (the ore, compound or metal); over time the derived verb came to mean 'to treat or alloy with antimony' and the adjective 'antimonized' now describes materials that have been so treated.