personalise
personalise — verb
- personalisepresent simple I / you / we / they
- personalises3rd person singular
- personalising-ing form
- personalisedpast simple
1. to adjust a product, service, or experience so that it fits one particular perso
to adjust a product, service, or experience so that it fits one particular person's needs, tastes, or situation — for example, an app that learns what you like and changes what it shows you
Felipe uses a fitness app that personalises daily workouts based on his energy level.
personalise + based on + user data
The online bookstore personalises its homepage so each visitor sees different titles.
Diya's teacher personalised the reading list to match each student's interests and level.
The hotel personalises every guest's stay by remembering their favourite drinks and pillow type.
Xiu liked how the app personalised suggestions after she watched just two films.
- standardise
to make everything the same for everyone, the opposite of personalising
文法句型
personalise + object + for + person
personalise + object + based on + data/preferences
personalise + object + to match + needs
用法筆記
Subject is often a company, app, website, or service rather than an individual person.
常見錯誤
2. to change an object by adding your name, initials, a favourite design, or anothe
to change an object by adding your name, initials, a favourite design, or another identifying mark so that anyone can see it belongs to you
Niran personalised his new phone case with a small elephant logo on the back.
personalise + object + with + decoration
Adaeze personalised her leather bag by adding her initials in gold thread.
The company lets customers personalise water bottles with names, colours, and photos.
Lukas personalised a mug with an inside joke and gave it to his brother.
Every desk in the office was personalised with family pictures and small plants.
- customise
customise focuses on changing how something works or looks; personalise means adding marks that identify the owner
- individualise
more formal; often used in academic or design writing
文法句型
personalise + object + with + decoration/design
personalise + object + by adding + detail
用法筆記
Object is usually something you own or carry — a bag, phone, notebook, water bottle, or desk.
3. to turn a discussion or disagreement away from the real subject and instead star
to turn a discussion or disagreement away from the real subject and instead start criticising someone's character, behaviour, or motives
Ziad warned his colleague not to personalise the budget discussion — stick to the facts.
negative imperative: don't personalise
Eli felt the meeting turned sour when the manager began to personalise the feedback.
The politician lost support after she personalised the discussion and insulted her opponent.
Benjamin stopped the argument and said they should not personalise the disagreement.
Yara regretted personalising the budget argument with Leif because afterwards neither would compromise.
- attack personally
more direct and informal; 'personalise' is the more formal, analytical term
- make it personal
informal phrasal equivalent; common in everyday arguments
- focus on the issue
to keep the discussion about facts and ideas rather than people
文法句型
personalise + argument/debate/discussion
don't personalise + this/the issue
用法筆記
Often used in negative imperatives ('don't personalise this', 'let's not personalise the debate') to keep a discussion constructive. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 4 adds human stories to make a topic relatable (positive); sense 3 attacks a person's character instead of addressing the issue (negative).
常見錯誤
4. to make a topic, issue, or message feel emotionally real by linking it to the ex
to make a topic, issue, or message feel emotionally real by linking it to the experiences of actual people instead of presenting only facts and numbers
Shirin personalised the climate talk by showing photos of families who lost their homes.
personalise + by showing real people affected
The doctor personalised the health warning with a story about one patient's recovery.
Caleb asked the team to personalise the campaign with stories from local families.
A good charity appeal personalises the cause by focusing on one person's experience.
Mark personalised the history lesson by reading letters from real soldiers to the class.
- humanise
humanise focuses on making something feel kind and warm; personalise here means connecting through real individual stories
- bring to life
less formal; emphasises making abstract ideas vivid and relatable
文法句型
personalise + topic/issue + by + telling stories
personalise + campaign/talk + with + real examples
用法筆記
Typically used in contexts of communication, teaching, fundraising, and advocacy where an audience needs to feel a personal connection.