anthropomorphize

IPA/ˌæn.θrə.pəˈmɔː.faɪz/
IPA/ˌæn.θrə.pəˈmɔːr.faɪz/

anthropomorphize — verb

  • anthropomorphizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • anthropomorphizes3rd person singular
  • anthropomorphizing-ing form
  • anthropomorphizedpast simple

1. to give human qualities, feelings, or physical features to something that is not

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give human qualities, feelings, or physical features to something that is not human, such as an animal, a god, or an object

Example

Many young children anthropomorphize their toys, giving them names and imagining their feelings.

common with toys as object

The cartoon director anthropomorphizes a train by giving it a smiling face and a voice.

anthropomorphize + [non-human thing] + by + [action]

Common collocations
  • anthropomorphize animals
  • anthropomorphize objects
  • anthropomorphize gods
  • anthropomorphize nature
  • tendency to anthropomorphize
Synonyms
  • personify

    More common in literary contexts; often used for abstract ideas, not just animals or objects

  • humanize

    Broader meaning — can also refer to making systems or processes more user-friendly, not just giving human form

  • embody

    Means giving concrete form to an idea; less specific to human traits

Grammar Patterns

anthropomorphize + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in academic, literary, or discussion contexts about art, religion, and pet ownership. The subject is typically a person or creator, and the object is a non-human entity such as an animal, object, deity, or natural force.

Common Mistakes

I anthropomorphized the dog when I gave it food.
I anthropomorphized the dog when I gave it a name and talked to it like a person.
Giving human traits is what anthropomorphizing means, not just caring for an animal.
The cat anthropomorphized its owner.
The owner anthropomorphized the cat.
Only humans do the anthropomorphizing; the non-human thing receives the treatment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words involve giving human-like qualities to something. 'Personify' is the closest synonym and is most common in literary analysis — a writer personifies winter as an old man. 'Humanize' has a wider range: it can mean making something seem more human (humanizing a villain by showing his childhood) or making systems friendlier (humanizing the workplace). 'Embody' means giving concrete form to an idea or quality, but the form is not necessarily human. A flag can embody national pride without being personified. In everyday use, 'anthropomorphize' is the most precise term for attributing specifically human traits to non-human things, while 'personify' is more figurative and often poetic.

personifyhumanize ↗embody ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekEnglish

From the Greek words anthrōpos (meaning 'human being') and morphē (meaning 'form'), combined with the English verb suffix -ize. The word entered English in the early 1800s and was first used in discussions about theology and literary criticism, where scholars debated whether ancient stories gave gods too many human traits.

First known use

1825

1825, in the meaning defined at transitive sense