limned

verb

past tense of limn
as in described
to give a representation or account of in words he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of limned Tubman is all but indecipherable, roughly limned with white paint and covered by red, black, and yellow smudges and drips. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Nuclear rhetoric and threats have limned the almost three and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine. — Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limned
  1. described
  2. depicted
  3. portrayed
Verb
  • His employees — asked to defend the team’s actions, and in some cases, prompted by Angels lawyers — described Skaggs as a drug addict and a poor pitcher.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • At the start of the trial, Clancy’s ex-husband Patrick Clancy described the horror of returning home to find his children.
    — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of described
Verb
  • Kylie and Antonia are depicted as recent college graduates, making Wood and Artrip too old to portray them within the sequel's timeline.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The object being depicted becomes a vehicle less for the task of representation than for activity.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of depicted
Verb
  • For nearly two decades, Rahul Gandhi has been portrayed as an entitled and ineffectual politician who could neither revive the Indian National Congress party nor challenge the iron rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    — Rana Ayyub, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Multiple actresses portrayed the activist and icon on screen.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of portrayed

Browse Nearby Words

limn
limned
limning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Limned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limned. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All