narrate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to tell (a story); relate
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to speak in accompaniment of (a film, television programme, etc)
Synonym Usage
See describe.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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narraternoun
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narratornoun
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misnarrateverb
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narratableadjective
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unnarratableadjective
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unnarratedadjective
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well-narratedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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narratesimple
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narratessimple
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have narratedperfect
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has narratedperfect
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am narratingprogressive
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are narratingprogressive
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is narratingprogressive
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have been narratingperfect progressive
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has been narratingperfect progressive
Past
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narratedsimple
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had narratedperfect
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was narratingprogressive
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were narratingprogressive
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had been narratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of narrate
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin narrātus (past participle of narrāre ”to relate, tell, say”), equivalent to nār(us) “knowing, acquainted with” (variant of gnārus; see cognition) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
When you tell a story or describe something out loud, you narrate. You might hire a well-known actor to narrate your documentary film about circus elephants. One way to narrate is to comment on or describe visual images — photographs or scenes in a film, for example. You can also narrate a story simply by relaying the details aloud. In books, a character sometimes narrates the story as well. It appears that narration, or the action of telling a story, came before narrate, from the Latin root narrare, "to tell, relate, or recount," or literally, "to make acquainted with."
Vocabulary lists containing narrate
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Theme and Purpose
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Fish in a Tree
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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:
It is curious to hear an accomplished sound engineer narrate his own memoir.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Giroux said, It is an attempt to discipline public memory by intimidating those who refuse to narrate the nation as innocent.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2026
Veteran British actor Emma Thompson, who is set to narrate the audiobook in English, is one of numerous celebrity admirers.
From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026
"I gave Steve my phone and asked him to narrate me driving as Alan Partridge," Brydon said.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
“Chai time,” I narrate as I pan across the room.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
In the books and TV adaptations, Laura vividly narrates daily life on the prairie, recounting her adventures and mundane activities in such a way that many readers say they see themselves in adolescent Laura.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Warsh’s push to pare back how the Fed narrates its outlook for jobs, growth and inflation—and how it weighs the risks around it—has left markets with more uncertainty about the central bank’s tactics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
It’s told in the first person through Hatcher’s compelling voice as she narrates the horror and heartbreak of her lifetime over the course of a century, echoing William Faulkner’s literary style, which influenced Sarris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
"This is the blueprint of my life," said the actor, a lifelong aeroplane nut, who narrates the story.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
An Elder’s voice narrates, words in Tsalagi and talk of consequences.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The popular content creator, who narrated BBC Three's I Kissed A Girl, previously hosted the Early Breakfast show for a period last summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
An audio version narrated by actor David Morse was on sale by early December.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
The Age of Revolutions is usually narrated around America and France, but Ms. Allen argues that its initial chapter unfolded in England during the 1760s, the turbulent first decade of George III’s reign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
One, Todd Kapostasy’s “Bong Voyage,” about the rise and fall and rise of artisanal glassblower Jason Harris, is narrated by one of his creations and includes such dumb puns as “fine piece of glass.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
“And these sea monsters,” Kate narrated up ahead, “can grow five hundred feet long in the deep ocean. They have over a thousand teeth. And these? Their favorite food is demigod—” “Demigod?”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
In one screen narrating the Battle of Yashima, Minamoto clan cavalry descend through a narrow pass to storm a Taira clan fortress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
“Kin” deftly alternates points of view between Vernice and Annie, narrating events by way of a vernacular that would be at home on a front porch rocking chair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
His voice - bruised, buttery and intimate - has been an inescapable undercurrent of Bollywood, narrating heartbreaks, longings and reconciliations for millions for more than a decade.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
She said the ability to clone human voices is becoming more sophisticated and could change authors’ interest in narrating their own stories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
He preferred Cool Papa’s smooth, raspy voice, narrating the beckoning waves and the choppy waters.
From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
