personify
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.
Origin of personify
1Other words for personify
Other words from personify
- per·son·i·fi·a·ble [per-son-uh-fahy-uh-buhl], /pərˌsɒn əˈfaɪ ə bəl/, adjective
- per·son·i·fi·ant, adjective
- per·son·i·fi·er, noun
- un·per·son·i·fy·ing, adjective
Words Nearby personify
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use personify in a sentence
In one scene, he confronts his brother’s epilepsy, which he personifies as a dragon.
How to Unlearn a Disease - Issue 103: Healthy Communication | Kelly Clancy | July 14, 2021 | NautilusStill, the Trocks have gotten away with it for so long because the humor and the beauty they personify are able to reach across the barriers of intellect and identity and strike a universal chord with their audiences.
Legendary dance troupe takes spotlight in ‘Ballerina Boys’ doc | John Paul King | June 2, 2021 | Washington BladeShe personified the postwar generation’s apprehension about the mid-century women’s movement, especially when it came to sexual agency.
Jessica Walter and George Segal personified a time when movies grew up | Ann Hornaday | March 26, 2021 | Washington PostKing personified connections between the private experiences of women and larger social and political structures.
Fifty years later, ‘Tapestry’s’ hope and optimism still resonates | Tanya Pearson | February 26, 2021 | Washington PostThe nefarious algorithms at work, hilariously personified in the film by actor Vincent Kartheiser, analyze our online activity to build a detailed model of our preferences.
Does Social Media Poison Everything? - Facts So Romantic | Scott Koenig | October 6, 2020 | Nautilus
Prabhakaran had come to personify the movement, and his end, so wretched, became the emblem of Tamil defeat and Sinhalese triumph.
Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka’s Reign of Terror | Kapil Komireddi | November 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTFlorida shopping-center magnate Mel Sembler is proud to personify the sort of Republican fat cat that Mitt Romney is depending on.
ARIES Hitting your stride, you personify progressive ideals without seeming like a free radical.
A public apology is one should personify the first of these.
The Dos and Don'ts of Confessing Affairs | The Daily Beast Video | December 2, 2009 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the Dakota theory of the universe they personify the maternal power and spirit by the name Hunka.
Prairie Smoke (Second Edition, Revised) | Melvin Randolph GilmoreGreat causes need an historical figure to personify their interests and tendencies.
History of Julius Caesar Vol. 1 of 2 | Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, 1808-1873.In Bible history the same term has been employed to personify the tradition of the first shipbuilder, Noah.
The Evolution of Culture | Augustus Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-RiversYou have stepped into quite a new character—you personify Retributive Justice now.
The Law and the Lady | Wilkie CollinsThese wild riders of the stormy sky, like their prototypes in the Vedas, personify or typify "rain senders."
Traditions, Superstitions and Folk-lore | Charles Hardwick
British Dictionary definitions for personify
/ (pɜːˈsɒnɪˌfaɪ) /
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 of personify
- personifiable, adjective
- personifier, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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