portray
verb (used with object)
to make a likeness of by drawing, painting, carving, or the like.
was portraying
-
past progressiveof portray.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Copeland said she also watched films, read books and autobiographies and listened to podcasts to make sure she knew the world she was portraying.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I think he should have stuck with the story — he was portraying himself as a doctor because he’s a healer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
In April 2019, Epstein told Bannon that Christians he had met with were troubled that the media was portraying him as “beyond redemption.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Hiro said it took two hours to fix the nose onto Cooper when he was portraying the younger Bernstein, but up to five hours as the character reached old age.
From Reuters ● Sep. 2, 2023
As if to crush all other emotion, she flung herself into the character she was portraying, and went through it wildly and passionately.
From Stories by American Authors, Volume 3 by Various
