Animalise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To imbue an object or concept with attributes usually found in animals
2. To give a non-living thing or abstract idea qualities that resemble those of living creatures
3. To attribute characteristics or qualities that are typical of animals to something non-animal

Etymology: "Animalise" is a straightforward formation: it combines "animal," from Latin "animal," meaning a living creature with breath or soul, with the verb-forming suffix "-ise," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make or treat something in a particular way. Put together, the word means to make something resemble or take on the character of an animal. The meaning runs in a particular direction. The verb is used of things that are not alive at all, so a sculptor might animalise a chair by carving it with legs like paws, or a writer might animalise a machine by describing its gears as hungry. The process turns the inanimate toward the creaturely rather than the reverse.

Synonyms: animate, personify, vivify, bring to life, enliven

Antonyms: dehumanize, kill, extinguish, destroy, disanimate