personify

B2 Topic:People & Society

US /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #85948

Meanings

1

verb
To be a perfect example of a particular quality.

Mozart could be said to personify musical genius.
2

verb
To give human qualities to an object, animal, or idea.

The writer personified death as a figure in a dark cloak.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to be a perfect example of... embody

2 verb · to give human qualities to... personate

Word family

Forms personifiedpersonifiespersonifying

Derived forms dispersonifypersonifiablepersonifierunpersonified

Related forms personification

Etymology

From French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify.

personnifier French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

# personify

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ
**Frequency rank:** 85948

## Meanings
1. To be a perfect example of a particular quality.
2. To give human qualities to an object, animal, or idea.

## Examples
- Mozart could be said to personify musical genius.
- The writer personified death as a figure in a dark cloak.

## Synonyms
- embody

## Derived Forms
- dispersonify
- personifiable
- personifier
- unpersonified

## Related Forms
- personification

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: personnifier

## Etymology
From French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify.

## AI Etymology
Personify comes from French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify. The historical chain includes personnifier (French). In present-day English it covers to be a perfect example of a particular quality and to give human qualities to an object, animal, or idea. The wider family includes derived forms such as dispersonify, personifiable, personifier, unpersonified and related forms such as personification.

## Topics
- People & Society

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personify

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