por·tray

(pôr-trā′)

tr.v. por·trayed, por·tray·ing, por·trays

1. To depict or represent pictorially; make a picture of: The painter portrays a typical country scene.

2. To describe or represent in words: The author portrays the world of the fantastically wealthy.

3. To describe or depict in a certain way: The book portrays her as hardworking and driven.

4. To represent dramatically, as on the stage: The actor portrays an obsessed lover in the film.

[Middle English portraien, from Old French portraire : por-, forth (from Latin prō-, forth; see pro-¹) + traire, to draw (from Latin trahere, to drag).]

por·tray′a·ble adj.

por·tray′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

portraying - a representation by picture or portraiture

depicting, depiction, portrayal

representational process - any basic cognitive process in which some entity comes to stand for or represent something else

mirror - a faithful depiction or reflection; "the best mirror is an old friend"

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

In every gallery in Europe there are hideous pictures of blood, carnage, oozing brains, putrefaction--pictures portraying intolerable suffering--pictures alive with every conceivable horror, wrought out in dreadful detail--and similar pictures are being put on the canvas every day and publicly exhibited--without a growl from anybody--for they are innocent, they are inoffensive, being works of art.

View in context

I am portraying this hardy companion as I really knew him.

View in context

He could have enjoyed portraying to uninitiated listeners various scenes at which he had been a witness or ably discussing the pro- cesses of war with other proved men.

View in context

"I was not surprised by seeing artists portraying characters in various shapes, and poses.

Arabesque: online platform artistically chronicling Arab Heritage

Anne Curtis stood up for members of the LGBTQ+ community, after portraying a transgender man on the drama anthology, 'Maalala Mo Kaya'.

Anne Curtis on playing transgender role: 'Love should always come first'

In the production that I saw in Chicago, the actor portraying George Washington, was African American.

Consider circumstances before using labels

Pacino is playing the titular role, portraying coach Paterno, whose shining reputation as one of football's best coaches is tarnished by the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal involving assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, which Paterno is believed to have known about yet kept quiet.

Al Pacino joins Kathy Baker, Greg Grunberg for HBO's Joe Paterno

OSCAR-winning writer Julian Fellowes has criticised James Cameron's hit Titanic movie for vilifying the ship's first officer by portraying him as a coward.

Titanic officer 'no coward'

Prominent Egyptian actress Nadia Al Jundi denied circulating rumors that she intends on portraying the ousted First Lady of Egypt Suzan Mubarak in a film titled "Imra'ah Ba'it Masr" (A woman who sold Egypt).

Nadia Al Jundi refuses to portray Suzan Mubarak

The artists who exhibited their work included Mellisa Brandt, who exhibited the artwork portraying a 'swallowed tear drop,' Christine Smit, whose drawing portrayed a 'Spanish dance,' Maryke Burger's painting showcased 'the old shed', Michelle //Inixas, who exhibited for the second year, presented her artwork portraying 'desert thirst' and Victor von Gierszewski portrayed the 'Fish River Canyon.'

Coastal visual artists exhibit artwork

London, July 3 (ANI): The Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) has called on airlines around the world to stop portraying them as sex objects in raunchy advertising campaigns.

Oz flight attendant's union calls for end to 'sex object' ads