narrate
Americanverb (used with object)
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narrates,
present (3rd person singular)
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narrated,
past participle, past
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narrating
present participle
verb (used without object)
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narrates,
present (3rd person singular)
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narrated,
past participle, past
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narrating
present participle
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:
The pictograms in the Codex Boturini narrate the story of the migration of the Aztecs, also known as Mexica, from their ancestral homeland to the shores of Lake Texcoco, where they built Tenochtitlán.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
After talking it through with her family and editor Elizabeth Méndez Berry, she warmed to the idea, realizing that the book didn’t have to just focus on her, that biography could also narrate community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Since first emerging online in 2019 on the online bulletin board 4chan, the Backrooms phenomenon has expanded across Reddit, TikTok, YouTube and gaming platforms, where users collectively map, narrate and extend its mythology.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
De Barbaro recommends parents narrate what they’re doing and point things out when they’re with their babies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
That is why it is my job to narrate to her the information we have on the ground—so then she will be able to make better calculations to advise us.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Harry Sparkes, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, stars in Thomas & Friends: Railway Stories alongside Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, who narrates the series in a role made famous by Sir Ringo Starr.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Actor-writer Lena Dunham’s voice cracks with emotion in ways “Girls” fans will recognize as she narrates “Famesick,” a memoir of her work, loves and controversies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
In “Young Men and Fire” he vividly narrates how a wildfire the crew initially expected to control suddenly erupts into a “blowup,” a wall of flame racing uphill faster than the young men can run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 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
He narrates what he sees: a portcullis, defensive walls called ramparts, granite mansions, a steeple above rooftops.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Like a popcorn movie, the evening ended happily with a drone show in the night sky narrated by Winfrey and Jackson, and featuring images from the museum’s collection including the Cave of Altamira, N.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Audiobook platform ElevenReader, whose investors include actor Matthew McConaughey, even launched a version last month narrated by an AI-generated voice modeled after Michael Caine.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
“Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers’ experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
And we watched Samira and the chirpy-voiced boy do some moves, over and over, while Ms. Platt narrated.
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
One popular social media video has a Nigerian narrating how he stopped a speeding Dangote company lorry driver, telling him not to be reckless with company property.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Americans bought into the package and Zuffa Boxing leaned heavily into his aura, with Dame Helen Mirren narrating a promotional film charting his rise.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
As the first plane in their journey ascends, Travolta’s distinct voice no longer feels like he’s narrating for a character.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 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
I could almost hear a man with a British accent narrating the action.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
