embody
Americanverb (used with object)
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embodies,
present (3rd person singular)
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embodied,
past participle, past
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embodying
present participle
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to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form.
to embody an idea in an allegorical painting.
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to provide with a body incarnate; make corporeal.
to embody a spirit.
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to collect into or include in a body; organize; incorporate.
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to embrace or comprise.
verb
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to give a tangible, bodily, or concrete form to (an abstract concept)
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to be an example of or express (an idea, principle, etc), esp in action
his gentleness embodies a Christian ideal
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(often foll by in) to collect or unite in a comprehensive whole, system, etc; comprise; include
all the different essays were embodied in one long article
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to invest (a spiritual entity) with a body or with bodily form; render incarnate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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embodysimple
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embodiessimple
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have embodiedperfect
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has embodiedperfect
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am embodyingprogressive
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are embodyingprogressive
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is embodyingprogressive
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have been embodyingperfect progressive
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has been embodyingperfect progressive
Past
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embodiedsimple
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had embodiedperfect
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was embodyingprogressive
-
were embodyingprogressive
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had been embodyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embody
Explanation
To embody a role is to fill it completely. If a high schooler seems to embody the character of Macbeth, his performance might make the audience forget they're watching a dorky 15-year-old with braces. If you embody someone, you put him or her "in-body," as when an actor gives a complete and compelling representation of a character. You can also use embody to describe character traits you see in a person, like, “He embodies truth,” or, “She is the embodiment of goodness.”
Vocabulary lists containing embody
100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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Content Summary G.2: Regionalization
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Short came to embody the inverse of that picture, the shaded gloom lurking in places that escape sunshiny illumination.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Maresca's City also embody these principles, evident by their 64% possession in their first game against Inter Milan.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
ME: Do you embody the Bryan Hearns woman as a designer?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Constitution is a “liberty document,” and he was responding to a view of the Constitution that saw it as written by powerful men to embody a theory of power and mastery.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
A notable element of all these East-West rivalries was that the western rep-resentatives nearly always seemed to embody certain attributes that stood in stark contrast to those of their eastern counterparts.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Traditional media is losing influence but still embodies a healthy 100-year tradition of informed skepticism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Flock Safety embodies the dishonesty that has been the prevailing theme of tech corporate communications and marketing for at least the past decade.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“This extraordinary residence represents the culmination of that passion: a Napa-inspired estate that embodies everything she loved most about residential design,” the listing goes on.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
For those unfamiliar with the Harry Potter universe, each House embodies a trait: courage for Gryffindor, loyalty for Hufflepuff, wisdom for Ravenclaw and ambition for Slytherin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
A mammoth corporation like this—it embodies too much experience.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Faraday Future says it has a leg up on the competition in the world of embodied AI because its bots are ready for delivery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Wallace, a New Yorker, was Shakur's big rival and the two rappers embodied the East Coast - West Coast feud that dominated 1990s hip-hop.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
There was a “recognition that donnish brainpower—whether embodied in scientific experts, staff office strategists, temporary civil servants or economists tasked with Lend-Lease negotiations—had played a significant part in winning the war.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
But as the Lord of Darkness, the massively built ruler of the underworld in Ridley Scott’s underappreciated fantasy, Curry embodied a paradox.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
She’s not the embodied Linda; she’s mostly made up, with a new identity and a new name, like the man who never was.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
"Off the field, he carried himself with humility and integrity, embodying the very best values of our game."
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
There can be value in embodying machismo on-screen, if it’s done right.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
“This union of artistry and vision transformed the property into a singular masterpiece, embodying the glamour and creative force of Hollywood’s Golden Age,” the description goes on.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
Elordi understood the challenge of embodying such an iconic character, who has existed both on the page and on the screen for generations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
Curiously, though, environmentalists also describe Native American history as embodying precisely the opposite lesson: how to live in a spiritual balance with Nature.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
