Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo relate (a story or series of events) in speech or writing.
Similar
verbTo give an account.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
In English (recorded only since 1656, but until the 19th century stigmatized as 'Scottish') apparently from narration.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek διηγέομαι
- διηγέομαι (diēgéomai)to relate a story
Arabic حَكَى, رَوَى
- حَكَى (ḥakā)to relate a story
- رَوَى (rawā)to relate a story
- قَصَّ (qaṣṣa)to relate a story
- سَرَدَ (sarada)to relate a story
Basque kontatu
- kontatuto relate a story
Bengali বর্ণনা করা
- বর্ণনা করা (bôrnôna kôra)to relate a story
Bulgarian разка́звам, разка́жа
- разка́звам (razkázvam)to relate a story
- разка́жа (razkáža)to relate a story
- описвам (opisvam)to give an account
Catalan narrar, explicar
- narrarto relate a story
- explicarto relate a story
Chinese Mandarin 訴說 /诉说, 敘說 /叙说
- 訴說 /诉说 (sùshuō)to relate a story
- 敘說 /叙说 (xùshuō)to relate a story
- 講 /讲 (jiǎng)to relate a story
- 講述 /讲述 (jiǎngshù)to relate a story
- 講述 /讲述 (jiǎngshù)to give an account
- 敍述 (xùshù)to give an account
- 說明 /说明 (shuōmíng)to give an account
Czech vyprávět, vypravovat
- vyprávětto relate a story
- vypravovatto relate a story
Danish fortælle, berette
- fortælleto relate a story
- beretteto relate a story
Dutch verhalen, vertellen
- verhalento relate a story
- vertellento relate a story
- verhalento give an account
- verslaanto give an account
- rapporterento give an account
Esperanto rakonti
- rakontito relate a story
Estonian jutustama
- jutustamato relate a story
Finnish kertoa, kertoa
- kertoato relate a story
- kertoato give an account
French raconter, conter
- raconterto relate a story
- conterto relate a story
- narrerto relate a story
- rapporterto give an account
- relaterto give an account
German erzählen, berichten
- erzählento relate a story
- berichtento give an account
Greek διηγούμαι
- διηγούμαι (diigoúmai)to relate a story
Hebrew יפר \ סִפֵּר
- יפר \ סִפֵּר (sipér)to relate a story
Hindi सुनाना, बयान करना
- सुनाना (sunānā)to relate a story
- बयान करना (bayān karnā)to relate a story
- वर्णन करना (varṇan karnā)to relate a story
Hungarian elbeszél, elmond
- elbeszélto relate a story
- elmondto relate a story
- beszámolto give an account
Indonesian menceritakan
- menceritakanto relate a story
Irish inis
- inisto relate a story
Italian raccontare, narrare
- raccontareto relate a story
- narrareto relate a story
Japanese 物語る, 話をする
- 物語る (monogataru)to relate a story
- 話をする (hanashi o suru)to relate a story
- 教える (oshieru)to relate a story
Korean 이야기하다, 말하다
- 이야기하다 (iyagihada)to relate a story
- 말하다 (malhada)to relate a story
- 들려주다 (deullyeojuda)to relate a story
- 이야기를 하다 (iyagireul hada)to relate a story
Latin narrō, narrō
- narrōto relate a story
- narrōto give an account
Latvian stāstīt
- stāstītto relate a story
Lithuanian pasakoti
- pasakotito relate a story
Malay menceritakan, meroyat
- menceritakanto relate a story
- meroyatto relate a story
- mengisahkanto relate a story
Māori whakataki
- whakatakito relate a story
Norwegian Bokmål fortelle
- fortelleto relate a story
Persian تعریف کردن, نقل کردن
- تعریف کردن (ta'rif kardan)to relate a story
- نقل کردن (naql kardan)to relate a story
Polish opowiadać, opowiedzieć
- opowiadaćto relate a story
- opowiedziećto relate a story
- opowiadaćto give an account
- opowiedziećto give an account
Portuguese narrar, contar
- narrarto relate a story
- contarto relate a story
Romanian povesti, relata
- povestito relate a story
- relatato relate a story
- narato relate a story
Russian расска́зывать, рассказа́ть
- расска́зывать (rasskázyvatʹ)to relate a story
- рассказа́ть (rasskazátʹ)to relate a story
- пове́дывать (povédyvatʹ)to relate a story
- пове́дать (povédatʹ)to relate a story
- повествова́ть (povestvovátʹ)to relate a story
Slovak rozprávať, porozprávať
- rozprávaťto relate a story
- porozprávaťto relate a story
Spanish narrar, contar
- narrarto relate a story
- contarto relate a story
- relatarto relate a story
- historiarto relate a story
- recontarto relate a story
- narrarto give an account
- recontarto give an account
- relatarto give an account
- contarto give an account
- historiarto give an account
Swahili kueleza
- kuelezato relate a story
Swedish berätta, förtälja
- berättato relate a story
- förtäljato relate a story
Thai บรรยาย, พากย์
- บรรยาย (ban-yaai)to relate a story
- พากย์ (pâak)to relate a story
- เล่าขาน (lâo-kǎan)to relate a story
- เล่า (lâo)to relate a story
- เล่า (lâo)to give an account
Turkish anlatmak
- anlatmakto relate a story
Ukrainian розповіда́ти, розповісти́
- розповіда́ти (rozpovidáty)to relate a story
- розповісти́ (rozpovistý)to relate a story
- розка́зувати (rozkázuvaty)to relate a story
- розказа́ти (rozkazáty)to relate a story
Urdu بیان کرنا, نقل کرنا
- بیان کرنا (bayān karnā)to relate a story
- نقل کرنا (naql karnā)to relate a story
Vietnamese kể lại, thuật lại
- kể lạito relate a story
- thuật lạito relate a story
Welsh adrodd
- adroddto relate a story
Yiddish דערציילן
- דערציילן (dertseyln)to relate a story
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with narrate
datestategreatratecreateupdateweightlatecertificatewaiteightstraightplatechocolatedebatehategatedonateevaluatelocatekatealternatetranslatemate
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
narrate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/narrate
MLA
“narrate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/narrate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “narrate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/narrate.
Source: narrate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.