MEANING
1. To draw, paint, or outline an image.
2. To describe or portray with carefully chosen words.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- limn a portrait
On the page
The artist limned a portrait in charcoal.
Light limned the roof’s edge.
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- limn
- Past tense
- limned
- Past participle
- limned
- Present participle
- limning
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- limn
- Present continuous
- am/is/are limning
- Present perfect
- have/has limned
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been limning
- Past
- limned
- Past continuous
- was/were limning
- Past perfect
- had limned
- Past perfect continuous
- had been limning
- Future
- will limn
- Future continuous
- will be limning
- Future perfect
- will have limned
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been limning
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: limn; limns; limned; limned; limning Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: limns.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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