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

The Full House alum will portray law enforcement officer Lieutenant Bishop in the upcoming procedural drama On Call. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

Advertisement The new footage also offers glimpses of Superman’s civilian persona, Clark Kent, bustling into the offices of the Daily Planet, as well as his colleague Lois Lane (portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan) and nemesis Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). —Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

From 2012 to 2018, Washington and her costar Tony Goldwyn portrayed political fixer Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant II respectively. —Esther Kang, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Contrast that with the current perception of American college campuses (and, to an extent, campuses across the wider world) constantly portrayed as rancorous battlegrounds in the culture wars, where dissenting ideas are often collateral damage, as are those promulgating them. —Shaun Carver, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

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

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