narrate

1 of 2

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

narrator

2 of 2

noun

nar·​ra·​tor ˈnaˌrātə(r) 

naˈr- -ātə- also ˈneˌ- or neˈr- sometimes nəˈr- or ˈnarət- or ˈnerət-

plural -s

: one that narrates

Synonyms of narrate

Verb

• describe
• tell
• recount
• chronicle
• relate

Examples of narrate in a Sentence

Verb

The author narrates her story in great detail.

a documentary narrated by a famous actor

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Her transparent online presence, narrating the brand's journey, built a strong community. — Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Walks along the coastline, mountain hikes, biking, kayaking and canoeing and narrated boat cruises are all favorite pastimes at Acadia. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Like the first book of the trilogy, this one unfolds entirely in dialogue—only instead of giving us a narrator whose hat was stolen, this story is narrated by the fish who did the stealing. — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

In the many legends about Siva and Vishnu portrayed in the temples and re-narrated by Selvam, things happen in a dimension distinct from historical time. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Latin, from narratus + -or

First Known Use

Verb

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