Meaning & use
personification
A figure of speech in which human qualities or actions are given to an object, animal, or abstract idea.
See it in a sentence
The line 'the wind whispered through the trees' is a classic example of personification.
Poets often use personification to make abstract feelings, like grief or hope, feel alive.
A note on using this word
Personification is a specific type of figurative language and is closely related to, but distinct from, metaphor.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A person or thing regarded as embodying a particular quality in an especially perfect or extreme way.
To his students, the strict old professor was the personification of discipline.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “personification”, then compare your use with the examples above.