'apotheosize' originates from the noun 'apotheosis' (borrowed into English), combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ize'; 'apotheosis' itself comes from Greek elements where 'apo-' meant 'away/from' and 'theos' meant 'god'.

'apotheosis' entered English (via Latin and Old French) in the 16th century, meaning 'making a god'; later, English formed the verb 'apotheosize' by adding '-ize' to create the sense 'to make into a god' or 'to exalt'.

Initially it meant 'to deify or make divine'; over time the verb's use broadened to include figurative senses such as 'to glorify' or 'to exalt highly' in non-religious contexts.