Advertisement
Advertisement
personify
[ per-son-uh-fahy ]
verb (used with object)
- to attribute human nature or character to (an inanimate object or an abstraction), as in speech or writing.
- to represent (a thing or abstraction) in the form of a person, as in art.
- to embody (a quality, idea, etc.) in a real person or a concrete thing.
- to be an embodiment or incarnation of; typify:
He personifies the ruthless ambition of some executives.
The vicar's wife was grace and beauty personified.
Synonyms: incorporate, exemplify, represent
- to personate.
personify
/ pɜːˈsɒnɪˌfaɪ /
verb
- to attribute human characteristics to (a thing or abstraction)
- to represent (an abstract quality) in human or animal form
- (of a person or thing) to represent (an abstract quality), as in art or literature
- to be the embodiment of
Derived Forms
- perˈsoniˌfiable, adjective
- perˈsoniˌfier, noun
Other Words From
- per·son·i·fi·a·ble [per-son-, uh, -, fahy, -, uh, -b, uh, l], adjective
- per·son·i·fi·ant adjective
- per·son·i·fi·er noun
- un·per·son·i·fy·ing adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of personify1
Example Sentences
McConville, a widow ripped from her home as her 10 crying children helplessly watch, personifies what happens when the battlefield extends into civilian neighborhoods.
No nation personifies that process more than the world champions.
Asians were specifically targeted because they personified difference, she explained.
They personify intangibles that sabermetrics can never quantify and that fans yearn to encounter: Hope.
Earlier in the day, she told a congregation of black church-goers near Atlanta, Georgia, to vote against “chaos, fear and hate” – personified, she suggested, by her Republican rival.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse