WordGarden.iopersonify
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /pɜːsˈɒnɪfˌaɪ/
US
- /pərˈsɑnəˌfaɪ/
Meanings
Verb
to represent something nonhuman as a person or as having human traits
to be the perfect example or embodiment of a quality or idea
Beyond the definition
To personify something is to describe it as if it were human, giving it feelings, actions, or traits that people have. We do not just say the wind blew; we might say the wind howled in anger, giving it a human feeling. Writers and poets use this to make a scene feel more alive. It can also mean to be the clearest example of a quality. If you say a person "personifies kindness," you mean they show kindness in a very full and obvious way.
Personify means to give human qualities, feelings, or intentions to something that is not human, such as an object, an idea, an animal, or a force of nature. It is a common literary device that helps create vivid images and stronger feeling. Think about how we talk about the weather: we do not just say, "It rained," but, "The sky wept." Or in a hard moment, we might say, "Opportunity knocked, but I wasn't ready." Opportunity does not literally knock; that is personification.
Beyond literature, it can also mean to represent an abstract quality in human form, or to be the strongest example of that quality. This is why we might say a world-class athlete "personifies dedication." That athlete becomes the human face of the idea. In everyday language, this meaning appears when we give an old car a "stubborn" attitude or call someone the "personification" of courage.
The word comes from the Latin persona, meaning "mask," which suggests giving something a human "face" or character. Whether a poet presents Death as a carriage driver or you describe a city as "never sleeping," this idea makes the world feel more personal, vivid, and alive.
Examples
- 1
Fable
In the fable, the wind is personified as a boastful traveler.
- 2
City as character
The novel personifies the city as a restless, hungry creature.
- 3
Public image
To many voters, she personifies honesty and hard work.
- 4
Symbolic statue
The statue personifies justice as a woman holding scales.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Perfect example
After three sleepless nights, Marco was exhaustion personified.
- PatternX personified
a perfect example of X
See also
Similar
- anthropomorphize
- humanize
- give human form to
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- personify an abstract idea
- personify nature
- personified as
Word family
Explore
- figurative language
- metaphor
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- personifyverb
Forms
- personifiedpast tenseverb
- personifiesverb
- personifying-ing formverb