to body forth
- phrasal verb
- Archaic
- That ambivalence is always there on the surface, and it's bodied forth in the kinds of moral problems that this novel dwells upon.
Examples
-
The artist was able to body forth her ideas into a stunning sculpture that captivated the audience.
-
As imagination bodies forth.
Academic text (1998) -
The director worked hard to body forth the emotions of the characters through powerful performances.
-
He aimed to body forth his vision of a better world in his speeches and writings.
Synonyms
104
5.1
Show an idea, quality or feeling in a clear visible way
2
7.4
To make an idea seem real or clear to others
1
7.0
Show an idea clearly in something you can see or touch
1
9.9
To make an idea or feeling into something physical
Antonyms
How Concrete
63
5.8
104
5.1
- US
142
2.7
- Archaic
∞
2.3
∞
2.1
136
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'body' (to give form or embody) with 'forth' (out into notice): together they literally mean to give tangible form or manifest something abstract. Although the phrasing is somewhat literary/archaic, the composition follows regular verb+particle patterns familiar across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer the sense.
Etymology
Body forth comes from the simple image of giving a body to something and sending it forth into the world. Imagine an idea turning into a visible person or thing so the idea is 'bodied forth' into a real form, and that's why it means 'to give a clear or physical form to an abstract idea'.