animate vs modify

animate is an adjective but modify is not an adjective.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
animate	No	Yes	Yes	No
modify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, modify is a hypernym of animate; that is, modify is a word with a broader meaning than animate:

Other hypernyms of animate include alter, change.

animate (adjective)	modify (adjective)
endowed with animal life as distinguished from plant life
belonging to the class of nouns that denote living beings
endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness

animate (verb)	modify (verb)
give new life or energy to	make less severe or harsh or extreme
make lively	add a modifier to a constituent
give lifelike qualities to	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
heighten or intensify