encarnar

Senses

1. 1.

   to embody, to personify

   to represent or exemplify an idea, quality, or spirit in physical form

2. 2.

   to play, to portray

   to take on the role of a character (in theater, film, etc.)

3. 3.

   to incarnate

   to take on human or physical form (religious/spiritual context)

4. 4.

   to get ingrown

   referring to a nail growing into the flesh

Examples

• "Ela encarnou perfeitamente o espírito de liderança da empresa."

  She perfectly embodied the company's spirit of leadership.

• "O ator vai encarnar um famoso político no novo filme."

  The actor will portray a famous politician in the new film.

• "A unha do meu pé encarnou e está doendo muito."

  My toenail got ingrown and it's hurting a lot.

Usage

Common in both formal and informal contexts. Frequently used with abstract nouns (encarnar um ideal, encarnar valores) and in theatrical/artistic contexts. The medical sense (ingrown nail) uses the reflexive "encarnar-se" or simply "encarnar" and is very common in everyday speech.