personify

UK: /pə^rˈsɒnɪfaɪ/ US: /pɚˈsɑnəˌfaɪ/ ,(pər son′ə fī′)

Inflections of 'personify' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

personifies

v 3rd person singular

personifying

v pres p

personified

v past

personified

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

per•son•i•fy /pɚˈsɑnəˌfaɪ/   v. [~ + object] , -fied, -fy•ing. 

1. Rhetoric to show that (a thing) has a human nature; to represent (a thing) as a person, as in art:
   The Greek goddess Demeter personifies the richness of mother earth.
2. to be a typical example of;
   typify:
   That money-grabbing tycoon personifies the ruthless ambition of some executives.

per•son•i•fi•ca•tion /pɚˌsɑnəfɪˈkeɪʃən/  n. 

[uncountable] He was the personification of evil and greed.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

per•son•i•fy  (pər son′ə fī′), v.t., -fied, -fy•ing. 

1. to attribute human nature or character to (an inanimate object or an abstraction), as in speech or writing.
2. to represent (a thing or abstraction) in the form of a person, as in art.
3. to embody (a quality, idea, etc.) in a real person or a concrete thing.
4. to be an embodiment or incarnation of;
   typify:
   He personifies the ruthless ambition of some executives.
5. to personate.

• 1720–30; person + -ify; compare French personnifier, Italian personificare

per•son′i•fi′a•ble, adj. 
per•son′i•fi′ant, adj. 
per•son′i•fi′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 4. represent, exemplify, incorporate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

personify / pɜːˈsɒnɪˌfaɪ/ verb ( -fies, -fying, -fied)(transitive)

1. to attribute human characteristics to (a thing or abstraction)
2. to represent (an abstract quality) in human or animal form
3. (of a person or thing) to represent (an abstract quality), as in art or literature
4. to be the embodiment of
   Also (rare): personize, personise

perˈsoniˌfier noun