personify

verb

per·​son·​i·​fy pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī 

personified; personifying

transitive verb

1

: to conceive of or represent as a person or as having human qualities or powers

2

: to be the embodiment or personification of : incarnate

a teacher who personified patience

personifier

pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms of personify

• embody
• express
• incorporate

Examples of personify in a Sentence

The ancient Greeks personified the forces of nature as gods and goddesses.

Justice is personified as a woman with her eyes covered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Congrats to all, but still, after being passed over too many times in too many roles over too many years, there was a true victory Thursday in hearing the name of the man who personified Delta Slim himself in that Best Supporting Actor list. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026

The Olive oil cake is decadence personified. —Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026

But by the middle of that decade, the club possessed a reputation, a ‘West Ham Way’, qualities of grit and guile personified by Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking. —Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026

Too long for him and the Gators, whose sophomore point guard personified the team’s season-long backcourt struggles. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for personify

• acidify
• alveoli
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify
• indemnify

Kids Definition

personify

verb

per·​son·​i·​fy pər-ˈsän-ə-ˌfī 

personified; personifying

1

: to think of or represent as a person

personify the forces of nature

2

: to be the perfect example of

she personified kindness