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.
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
According to court documents, Stevens was portraying herself as a psychic and fortune teller in 2012 when she met a victim in Miami.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 12, 2022
“I realized I wasn’t portraying a character. I was portraying an extension of myself.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
Every step of the dance and movement of the arms were in accordance with the mood she was portraying.
From Marjorie Dean College Junior by Pauline Lester
