portray
Americanverb
-
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
Related Words
See depict.
Other Word Forms
- nonportrayable adjective
- portrayable adjective
- portrayal noun
- portrayer noun
- preportray verb (used with object)
- unportrayable adjective
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
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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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.
Some of the cast assembled here take a little too long to find the essence of the men and women they portray, but on the whole they do distinguished and affecting work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Bass and her challengers have all attempted to portray themselves as the candidate of change.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Sharma says some people are "getting triggered" by it and there's been "a backlash from a section of men saying shows like these portray men in a bad light".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
As Salon has previously reported, experts emphasize measles isn’t just a fever and a rash as anti-vaccine influencers portray online.
From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026
In Kabul, Najibullah changed tactics and tried to portray himself as a devout Muslim.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
