limning

verb

present participle of limn
as in describing
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 limning Introduced in a state of drunken collapse, Anderson — fearful, bitter, despairing, protective — is quite magnificent limning different levels of intoxication. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limning
  1. describing
  2. depicting
  3. portraying
Verb
  • Gilroy provided a detailed backstory for the fictional film, describing a young widow, a wealthy East Coast summer setting and a boy preparing to go to war.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2019, Bolsonaro co-sponsored a bill that would have ended that requirement, describing it as an obstacle to development.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • Adults, Yoshida says, drift away from a child’s heart as their perspective rises, and end up depicting their idea of what a child should be.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Your room key arrives with a sleeve of vintage postcards depicting scenes from the late 1800s era of the Olde Naples Hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • Basically, what Thiel’s doing in his Antichrist speeches is portraying our current predicament as an existential battle between good and evil.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Both the editorial boards of The Wall Street Journal and the National Review have come out against the legislation, collectively portraying the idea as a way to line the pockets of big studio owners and actors and save failing unions.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of portraying

Browse Nearby Words

limned
limning
limns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Limning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limning. Accessed 6 Oct. 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All