verb
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to represent by or as by drawing, sculpture, painting, etc; delineate; portray
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to represent in words; describe
Related Words
Depict, portray, sketch imply a representation of an object or scene by colors or lines, or by words. Depict emphasizes vividness of detail: to depict the confusion of departure. Portray emphasizes faithful representation: We could not portray the anguish of the exiles. Sketch suggests the drawing of the outlines of the most prominent features or details, often in a preparatory way: to sketch the plans for a community development.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of depict
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin dēpictus (past participle of dēpingere ), equivalent to dē- de- + pic- past participle stem of pingere “to paint” ( see paint) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
When you depict something, you draw a picture of it, describe it, or show what it looks like. So grab a crayon, a paint brush, or even an Etch-A-Sketch and start depicting. From the Latin depictus, meaning “to portray, paint, sketch, describe,” depict is a way to communicate what you see. To explain to an alien what a banana is, you can either depict it with drawings, describe it in words, or both. But be careful. Writes author Joyce Maynard, "The painter who feels obligated to depict his subjects as uniformly beautiful or handsome and without flaws will fall short of making art."
Vocabulary lists containing depict
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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ACT Vocabulary List
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STAAR English I: The Language of the Test 1
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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.
Depict their lives as a string of endless indignities, and you will be accused of exploiting their suffering.
From Economist • Sep. 13, 2017
Depict inert things as a realist, as a poet, it's all the same to me, but, when one touches on the emotions of the human heart, it is another thing.
From The George Sand-Gustave Flaubert Letters by McKenzie, Aimée G. Leffingwel
Depict, de-pikt′, v.t. to paint carefully: to make a likeness of: to describe minutely.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Depict a great open chasm between the hills, little copses of pines everywhere, and more than one thicket; a white road winding through the valley, and two cars stuck up on that same.
From The Man Who Drove the Car by Pemberton, Max, Sir
Depict innocence on Florence's part—she does not "get his drift."
From Writing the Photoplay by Esenwein, J. Berg (Joseph Berg)
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.
