weaponize, v. meanings, etymology and more OED
Weaponization of Information populismstudies.org
weaponize Political Dictionary
-ize definition and meaning Merriam-Webster
Confusion between disparage, belittle, denigrate, deprecate and depreciate English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
lexicon of hate words vocabularyserver.com
slur lexiconlearning.com
Slurs Aren't Special Geoff Nunberg
Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(b), The Terms- Weaponize and Intent vs. Impact Amy E Payne at Medium
...Weaponize: to take something, in this case a word or phrase, that's not a weapon and then say it is and/or change its meaning (a lot or slightly) so it can be used as one....We weaponize language for several reasons. One is to protect ourselves or our groups from being wrong, having made a mistake, or being asked to change. Another is to make us feel better than others, to put people down. A third is to excuse us from doing our own work — the work of understanding, looking, listening, thinking deeply and differently about the world, including seeing one another as individuals. If we transform a word into something bad, we don't have to give any consideration to its meaning, its humanitarian request, or even the people using it. Finally, weaponizing language helps those in power stay in power. So, notice when it begins to be used publicly in a way that hurts some people or groups — be this by politicians, religious leaders, the news, etc. And try to notice the groups that are our own — looking without is too easy.
When a word is weaponized, the genuine power of its original meaning is washed away, hidden in a tide of fear and anger. This way, we don't have to consider anything that may change how we see the world or, God forbid, make us feel uncomfortable.