personify

Everyday

1. (writing) To describe a thing, animal or idea as if it were a person, with human feelings or actions: "The wind howled angrily." tree →
2. To be a perfect example of a quality: "She personifies kindness." tree →

In the lessons

In English and poetry lessons, personification is a figure of speech: "The sun smiled down", "The trees whispered". Pupils learn to spot and use it. In everyday speech, "he personifies patience" means he is the best example of being patient.

Examples

• Poets often personify the moon as a lady. tree →
• In "the angry storm", the writer personifies the weather. tree →
• Grandma personifies kindness. tree →
• Can you personify the sea in your poem? tree →
• The cartoon personifies the vegetables as funny characters. tree →
• Old stories personify death as a figure in a cloak. tree →
• He personifies the change of seasons, and that process of transformation in nature by means of which the leaf-buds become developed into blossoms, and the blossoms into fruit. tree →

Note

Irregular spelling: personifies, personified (y to i). Noun: personification. Do not mix up with simile (using "like" or "as") or metaphor (saying one thing is another).