narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈner-ˌāt 

ˈna-ˌrat, 

na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

transitive verb

: to tell (a story) in detail

The children enjoyed the lively manner with which she narrated her life's story.

also : to provide spoken commentary for (something, such as a movie or television show)

The documentary is narrated by a famous actor.

narrator

ˈner-ˌā-tər 

ˈna-ˌrā-, 

na-ˈrā-, 

nə-;

ˈner-ə-, 

ˈna-rə-

noun

Synonyms of narrate

• describe
• tell
• recount
• chronicle
• relate

Examples of narrate in a Sentence

The author narrates her story in great detail.

a documentary narrated by a famous actor

Recent Examples on the Web

New Girl cast member Nelson Franklin is narrating a portion of the audiobook, in excerpts also shared by THR below. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026

The novel’s climax—a sequence defined by reality-shattering magical spectacle—is narrated by one character to another over FaceTime, a dreadful decision that deflates the entire story. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

The story is told in two interwoven timelines, with Cecilia narrating her current reality in the first-person point of view, and the past intrigue of what occurred between the women in Mexico told in the third person. — Samantha Dunn, Oc Register, 20 July 2026

In addition to making guest appearances as Meredith, Pompeo also narrates the show and serves as an executive producer. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin narratus, past participle of narrare, from Latin gnarus knowing; akin to Latin gnoscere, noscere to know — more at know

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for narrate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

narrate

verb

nar·​rate ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt  na-ˈrāt 

narrated; narrating

: relate sense 1, tell

narrate a story

narrator

ˈna(ə)r-ˌāt-ər 

na-ˈrāt-, 

nə-;

ˈnar-ət-

noun