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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 But O'Dea won the primary, and now Democrats are trying to portray him as a far-right conservative. 
Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, 6 Sep. 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2022 Republicans are trying to portray Biden as weak in allowing the invasion to happen. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022 Those trying to portray goodness in a show about faith also face another challenge: Growing distrust of organized religion. John Blake, CNN, 14 Aug. 2022 Cicely Tyson wanted to portray her character Sipsey without talking. Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 12 July 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2022 But laying a towel down on a stage and declaring it a beach is not the same as trying to portray a society from the bottom up. Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, The Atlantic, 21 June 2022 See More
Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, 6 Sep. 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2022 Republicans are trying to portray Biden as weak in allowing the invasion to happen. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022 Those trying to portray goodness in a show about faith also face another challenge: Growing distrust of organized religion. John Blake, CNN, 14 Aug. 2022 Cicely Tyson wanted to portray her character Sipsey without talking. Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 12 July 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2022 Rather than picking alternatives acceptable to Pelosi, McCarthy withdrew the others, refusing to play by Pelosi’s rules and trying to portray the the committee as unfair and illegitimate. Lisa Mascaro And Mary Clare Jalonick, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2022 But laying a towel down on a stage and declaring it a beach is not the same as trying to portray a society from the bottom up. Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, The Atlantic, 21 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English portraien, from Anglo-French purtraire, from Latin protrahere to draw forth, reveal, expose — more at protract
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
portray
verb
por·tray pȯr-ˈtrā
portrayed; portraying
1
: to make a portrait of
The artist portrayed the young queen.
2
: to describe in words or words and images
The story portrays frontier life.
3
: to play the role of
He portrays the hero in a movie.
portray
verb
1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- depict
- describe
- paint
- render
- characterize
- illustrate
- set out
- picture
- delineate
- sketch
- represent
- image
- define
- limn
- recount
- summarize
- draw
- relate
- outline
- display
- tell
- demonstrate
- narrate
- show
- exhibit
- report
- suggest
- label
- qualify
- recite
- trace
- hint
- silhouette
- vignette
- sum up
- rehearse
- draft
- redescribe
- touch off
- reimage
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- distort
- misrepresent
- falsify
- color
- misstate
- twist
- pervert
- warp
- misdescribe
- garble
2
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble Synonyms & Similar Words
- characterize
- describe
- depict
- represent
- define
- character
- identify
- classify
- type
- indicate
- categorize
- specify
- pigeonhole
- color
- distinguish
- stamp
- individualize
- mark
- name
- particularize
3
as in to represent
to present a picture of a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up Synonyms & Similar Words
- depict
- represent
- describe
- picture
- image
- document
- render
- illustrate
- show
- outline
- sketch
- delineate
- silhouette
- diagram
- caricature
4
as in to play
to present a portrayal or performance of gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show Synonyms & Similar Words
- play
- depict
- perform
- interpret
- represent
- do
- impersonate
- act
- dramatize
- render
- enact
- mimic
- act out
- imitate
- underplay
- pantomime
- overact
- playact
- overplay
- masquerade
- mime
- take on
- ape
- role-play
- clown
- ham
- coact
- pose (as)
- costar
- star (in)