Standard Lemma guide

personify

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER0 S AA1 N AH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To be an example of; to have all the attributes of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Mozart could be said to personify musical genius.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unpersonify

2

verb

Meaning 2

To create a representation of (an abstract quality) in the form of a character or persona.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The writer personified death in the form of the Grim Reaper.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unpersonify

3

verb

Meaning 3

attribute human qualities to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Greeks personated their gods ridiculous

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: personate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: impute, ascribe, assign, attribute

4

verb

Meaning 4

represent, as of a character on stage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Derek Jacobi was Hamlet

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: embody, be

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: typify, symbolize, symbolise, stand for, represent

Narrower terms: body, personify, exemplify, represent

5

verb

Meaning 5

invest with or as with a body; give body to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: body

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: embody, be, personify

History

Etymology

From person + -ify, after French personnifier.

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: олицетворявам (olicetvorjavam) — to be an example of
  • Catalan: personificar — to be an example of
  • Finnish: henkilöidä — to be an example of
  • French: personnifier — to be an example of
  • Galician: personificar — to be an example of
  • German: personifizieren — to be an example of
  • Hungarian: megtestesít — to be an example of
  • Italian: personificare — to be an example of
  • Norwegian: personifisere — to be an example of
  • Russian: персонифици́ровать (personificírovatʹ) — to be an example of
  • Serbo-Croatian: personificirati — to be an example of
  • Spanish: personificar — to be an example of
  • Swedish: personifiera — to be an example of
  • Bulgarian: въплъщавам (vǎplǎštavam) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Catalan: personificar — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Finnish: henkilöidä — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • French: personnifier — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Galician: personificar — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • German: personifizieren — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Greek: προσωποποιώ (prosopopoió) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Hungarian: megszemélyesít — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Kazakh: кейіптеу (keiıpteu) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Kazakh: бейнелеу (beineleu) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Polish: animizować — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Russian: олицетворя́ть (olicetvorjátʹ) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Russian: воплоща́ть (voploščátʹ) — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Serbo-Croatian: upriličiti — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Serbo-Croatian: personificirati — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Spanish: personificar — to create a representation in the form of a character
  • Welsh: personoli — to create a representation in the form of a character