'sensationalize' originates from the word 'sensation,' which comes from the Latin word 'sensus,' meaning 'feeling' or 'perception.' The suffix '-ize' is used to form verbs indicating a process or action.

'sensation' transformed from the Latin 'sensus' through Old French 'sensation,' and eventually became the modern English word 'sensation.' The verb form 'sensationalize' was later derived by adding the suffix '-ize.'

Initially, 'sensation' referred to a physical feeling or perception, but over time, 'sensationalize' evolved to mean exaggerating or dramatizing information to provoke interest.