portray

verb

por·​tray pȯr-ˈtrā How to pronounce portray (audio)
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

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 In Killers of the Flower Moon, Gladstone portrays Mollie Burkhart, a real-life woman who was a member of the Osage Nation. Mia McNiece, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 The actress portrayed Professor Pomona Sprout in the film franchise. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Still, many Janeites think the wet shirt scene faithfully portrays the tensions at play in Darcy and Bennet’s relationship. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 The charges portray Libman as a puppet of the city’s lawyers, taking instructions from his adversary about how to represent his client. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Third, the prosecution in Jennifer’s trial portrayed her as an inattentive mother, introducing evidence of her extramarital affair and her deep interest in her horses. Eric Levenson, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Diggs portrayed both Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in the musical, while Raver-Lampman was a member of the original ensemble. Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Take, for example, Emma Watson and her recent off-duty look in Milan, which (deliberately or not), conjured memories of her time portraying the bookish Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2024 Final Thoughts The art of personal branding is not about portraying an idealized image to the world. Merag Shahzad, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'portray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of portray was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near portray

Cite this Entry

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portray. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

portray

verb
por·​tray pōr-ˈtrā How to pronounce portray (audio)
pȯr-
1
: to make a portrait of
2
a
: to describe in words
b
: to play the role of
portrayer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on portray

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!