personify
verb
per·son·i·fy
pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī 
personified; personifying
1
: to conceive of or represent as a person or as having human qualities or powers
2
: to be the embodiment or personification of : incarnate
a teacher who personified patience
Synonyms
Examples of personify in a Sentence
The ancient Greeks personified the forces of nature as gods and goddesses.
Justice is personified as a woman with her eyes covered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anxiety is the dominant emotion there, too — a catchall for the pressures of modern life — although the idea of personifying anxiety goes back to the ancient Greeks, who deemed her the deadly daughter of night.
—
Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 12 June 2024
Of all the new emotions introduced, Anxiety is the only one legitimately explored rather than just cleverly defined, and Hawke’s frazzled performance does a fantastic job of personifying a quasi-antagonistic feeling that wants the best for Riley but will ruin her life if allowed to take over.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 June 2024
Although De Niro comes from a privileged bohemian background, his film roles personified working-class essence and vernacular.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 June 2024
Designed by Kelly Wearstler, the hotel’s aesthetic is west coast personified with a color palette of cream and beige married with edgy lamps and sculptures and dominant wood accents.
—Indya Brown, Essence, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for personify 
Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 12 June 2024
Of all the new emotions introduced, Anxiety is the only one legitimately explored rather than just cleverly defined, and Hawke’s frazzled performance does a fantastic job of personifying a quasi-antagonistic feeling that wants the best for Riley but will ruin her life if allowed to take over.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 June 2024
Although De Niro comes from a privileged bohemian background, his film roles personified working-class essence and vernacular.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 June 2024
Designed by Kelly Wearstler, the hotel’s aesthetic is west coast personified with a color palette of cream and beige married with edgy lamps and sculptures and dominant wood accents.
—Indya Brown, Essence, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for personify
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'personify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near personify
Cite this Entry
“Personify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personify. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
personify
verb
per·son·i·fy
pər-ˈsän-ə-ˌfī
personified; personifying
1
: to think of or represent as a person
personify the forces of nature
2
: to be the perfect example of
she personified kindness
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share