limning

verb

present participle of limn
as in describing
to give a representation or account of in words he limned the scene in the courtroom so perfectly I could practically see it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for limning
  1. describing
  2. depicting
  3. portraying
Verb
  • The problem is that the data describing this movement also changes over time.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • So Flaubert is describing a mechanism where happiness begets more happiness.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • There’s a nice localised touch via a railway footbridge on the approach depicting the highs of Southampton’s football history and the delights of the city centre, particularly Oxford Street, can be enjoyed before strolling on to the match.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Dozens of people have sought to attend his court hearings, and stickers and posters depicting him as a saint can be found on almost every lamppost in the vicinity of the lower Manhattan courthouses.
    — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of depicting
Verb
  • Outside of the Camp Rock franchise, she is best known for portraying Theresa Russo, the family matriarch in Wizards of Waverly Place and later on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
    — Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Jeremy Strong is speaking out on portraying Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin‘s forthcoming film, The Social Reckoning.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of portraying
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

limned
limning
limns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Limning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limning. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All