portray
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to represent in a painting, drawing, sculpture, etc; make a portrait of
-
to make a verbal picture of; depict in words
-
to play the part of (a character) in a play or film
Synonym Usage
See depict.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
portrayalnoun
-
portrayernoun
-
nonportrayableadjective
-
portrayableadjective
-
unportrayableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
portraysimple
-
portrayssimple
-
have portrayedperfect
-
has portrayedperfect
-
am portrayingprogressive
-
are portrayingprogressive
-
is portrayingprogressive
-
have been portrayingperfect progressive
-
has been portrayingperfect progressive
Past
-
portrayedsimple
-
had portrayedperfect
-
was portrayingprogressive
-
were portrayingprogressive
-
had been portrayingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of portray
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English portrayen, from Middle French portraire, from Late Latin prōtrahere “to depict,” Latin: “to draw forth,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + trahere “to draw”
Explanation
When you paint a picture of someone, either in words or in paint, you portray them. Actors portray characters too. Whether you're talking about acting or another art form, the idea is the same: representing a person and bringing to light their most important qualities. To portray a person is to show who that person is, giving a sense of their personality or character. Often, famous people don't like how they're portrayed. For example, Presidents usually hate how they're portrayed in editorial cartoons. When you portray someone, you can be positive or negative, accurate or inaccurate. It's up to you.
Vocabulary lists containing portray
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some people remembered that during the last autumn he and his wife had stayed three months at Portray Castle, and declared that the friendship between them and Lady Eustace had been very useful.
From Phineas Redux by Trollope, Anthony
And this was the woman, too, who had borrowed her money last week, whom she had entertained for months at Portray, and who had pretended to be her bosom-friend.
From The Eustace Diamonds by Trollope, Anthony
When the party moved from Portray, he was to go up to London and see his lawyer.
From The Eustace Diamonds by Trollope, Anthony
And yet, as Lizzie at once understood, Mrs. Carbuncle knew nothing now which she had not known when she made her petition to be taken to Portray.
From The Eustace Diamonds by Trollope, Anthony
But Frank was determined to leave Portray very early on the following day, and therefore wrote a note to his cousin.
From The Eustace Diamonds by Trollope, Anthony
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
