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

• 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

And as for innovation, German engineering – perhaps best personified at Leica by Oskar Barnack – put the company on the map as a leader in its field. —Nancy Olson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

California personified Three presidents, all Republicans, had California ties: Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. —David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025

Spots is canine loyalty personified, and Schreiber voices the role like a dutiful soldier. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025

Nobody personified this better than Stairs, who cheerfully acknowledged his simple goal to go deep every swing. —Jayson Stark, New York Times, 19 June 2025

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