personify

verb

per·​son·​i·​fy pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī 

personified; personifying

transitive verb

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

personifier

pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

• body
• embody
• epitomize
• express
• externalize
• incarnate
• incorporate
• instantiate
• manifest
• materialize
• personalize
• substantiate

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

Identifying stakeholders and champions to personify and amplify this plays a huge part in allowing culture to thrive. —Yamini Bhat, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Since her remarkable novel The Flamethrowers came out in 2013, Kushner has personified cool in American letters. —The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024

His struggles with injuries have personified the 49ers problems this season in what has been a down year for the Bay Area team having lost in last season’s Super Bowl. —Ben Morse, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

In retrospect, the New York art world of the 1980s that so exhilarated me—the world personified for me by Marden, Samaras, Serra, and Stella—seems almost laughably tiny and limited. —Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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