portray

verb

por·​tray pȯr-ˈtrā 

pər-

portrayed; portraying; portrays

transitive verb

1

: to make a picture of : depict

2

a

: to describe in words

b

: to play the role of : enact

portrayer noun

Synonyms

• delineate
• depict
• describe
• draw
• image
• limn
• paint
• picture
• render
• set out
• sketch

Examples of portray in a Sentence

The White House has portrayed the President as deeply conflicted over the matter.

The lawyer portrayed his client as a victim of child abuse.

He portrayed himself as a victim.

The painting portrays the queen in a purple robe.

Laurence Olivier portrayed Hamlet beautifully.

Recent Examples on the Web

Good American Family, released on March 19, stars Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as Kristine and Michael Barnett, while 27-year-old Imogen Faith Reid portrays Natalia. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025

Avari also noted that one of the 13 vignettes portrays a standing farmer—the only male figure in the in the piece. —Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 19 Mar. 2025

Rather, this musical is structured as a series of vignettes and relies on colorful images, repetitive language and whimsical movement to portray a community of dogs at work and play. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025

In recent history, Adm. William Fallon resigned as a top U.S. commander after an article portrayed him as opposing President George W. Bush’s Iran policies. —Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English portraien, purtrayen, purtreyen "to draw, paint, depict, decorate, form a mental image of," borrowed from Anglo-French purtraire "to represent (in drawing, painting, etc.), depict, decorate, plan (also continental Old French pourtraire), from pur-, pour-, por-, prefix marking completion of an action (going back to Latin prō-, prefix denoting forward movement) + traire "to drag, pull, draw out, launch, shoot, trace, represent," going back to Latin trahere "to drag, draw, take along" — more at pro- entry 2, abstract entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for portray

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

portray

verb

por·​tray pōr-ˈtrā 

pȯr-

1

: to make a portrait of

2

a

: to describe in words

b

: to play the role of

portrayer noun