to personify

Examples

• All

• He personified the American West in the days of its rowdy youth.

  The Missouri Breaks (1976)

• Most prominent is the Virgin of Guadalupe, who personifies Mexican identity and mestizo culture.

  Academic text (2008)

• And then I'm able to personify it with a neck and a head.

• We thought after the splendid example of your own son that you would personify...

  The Hindenburg (1975)

• Another historical function of the novel has been to personify nation-states themselves.

  Academic text (1995)

• Few, few people in the world personify that ideal as vividly as our honored guest.

• Nature is the great teacher, and this exercise that I'm gonna teach you is nature personified, okay?

  Mascots (2016)

• Perhaps there's no one else who can better personify the mystery... that is music... than our final composer.

  August Rush (2007)

• The Ant and the grasshopper personify traits possessed by all people.

  Stanford

• This is passion personified.

  Next Goal Wins (2023)

Synonyms

P

to portray

vsto personify

182 3.9

To describe a person or thing in words

expresses human traits or role rather than only describing or depicting

R

to represent

vsto personify

126 2.6

Describe something in a particular way to show an idea

is more specific, presenting something as if it were human rather than generally

E

to embody

vsto personify

104 5.1

Show an idea, quality or feeling in a clear visible way

does this by describing things as human rather than merely showing them

E

to epitomize

vsto personify

22 7.3

A perfect example that shows the main qualities of something

represents an idea as a human being rather than serving as a perfect example

T

to typify

vsto personify

12 5.8

Show the common features of a group or type

shows those qualities by describing something as human rather than as a typical example

A

to anthropomorphize

vsto personify

• Specialized

2 9.7

To give human qualities to an animal or object

describes something as a human being rather than only naming traits

I

to incarnate

vsto personify

• Formal

1 7.0

Show an idea clearly in something you can see or touch

represents as human or with human qualities rather than only physical form

I

to instantiate

vsto personify

• Specialized

1 9.6

To show a general idea by giving a clear example

does this by describing something as human rather than by a single example

P

to personate

vsto personify

• Archaic

9.9

Give human qualities to something not alive, like the sun

is the modern form used instead of the older archaic expression

How Human

to anthropomorphize

• Specialized

2 9.7

to personify

27 6.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology