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

The homes themselves feel alive, each room narrating a story, each hallway a private exhibition. —Amplified Content Studio, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Don’t miss Historama, a sweetly clunky multimedia show from 1963 that’s narrated by the least cowboy-like star at the time, Vincent Price. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

The brand story will be narrated by Philo, a griffin inspired by one of the symbols on Solomeo’s heraldic emblem which appears in the windows as a soft, white creature evoking cashmere fiber. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 21 Nov. 2025

Ahead of the game, Elder released a more than 3-minute-long hype video narrated by former Elder football standout Joe Royer. —Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2025

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