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body forth

C1 formal inseparable transitive

To give a tangible or visible form to something abstract; to represent or embody something.

In plain English

To make an idea or feeling into something you can almost see or touch.

What does "body forth" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 C1 idiomatic formal

To represent or give a concrete, visible form to something that is abstract or imaginary.

"The sculptor sought to body forth the grief of an entire nation in a single figure."

And as imagination bodies forth / The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen / Turns them to shapes.

— William Shakespeare, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Act 5, Scene 1 (c. 1595)
inseparable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To bring a body (physical form) forward into existence.

Actually means

To make an idea or feeling into something you can almost see or touch.

Usage tip

Strongly literary and archaic; best known from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Rarely if ever used in spoken English today. ESL learners are most likely to encounter it in literary criticism or poetry.

Words that pair with "body forth"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

imagination form idea vision truth spirit

How to conjugate "body forth"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
body forth
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bodies forth
he/she/it
Past simple
bodied forth
yesterday
Past participle
bodied forth
have + pp
-ing form
bodying forth
continuous

Hear "body forth" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "body forth" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "body forth"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

bring to life embody give form to manifest personify represent

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