Synonyms of portray

portray

verb

pȯr-ˈtrā 

1

as in to describe

to give a representation or account of in words

the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• describe
• depict
• render
• paint
• characterize
• set out
• illustrate
• delineate
• represent
• image
• sketch
• define
• picture
• draw
• recount
• limn
• relate
• summarize
• tell
• outline
• demonstrate
• show
• display
• suggest
• narrate
• exhibit
• qualify
• report
• label
• recite
• trace
• hint
• rehearse
• sum up
• silhouette
• draft
• vignette
• touch off
• redescribe
• reimage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distort
• misrepresent
• color
• falsify
• twist
• misstate
• 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
• categorize
• indicate
• type
• specify
• pigeonhole
• distinguish
• stamp
• individualize
• mark
• color
• name
• particularize

3

as in to depict

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
• image
• picture
• render
• document
• illustrate
• delineate
• show
• outline
• sketch
• silhouette
• caricature
• diagram

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
• act out
• mimic
• imitate
• pose (as)
• take on
• masquerade
• underplay
• playact
• role-play
• pantomime
• ape
• ham
• overplay
• overact
• star (in)
• mime
• coact
• clown
• costar

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of portray

Zendaya plays the ancient Greek goddess Athena, and Holland portrays Telemachus, son of Matt Damon’s Odysseus and Anne Hathaway’s Penelope, in the new epic from Christopher Nolan. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

In these quick watches, creators must provide the most entertaining segments of a debate, usually portraying clips of jarring language and rhetoric. — Vriti Shah, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026

Sally plays Paulette’s dog Rufus, while Elle’s dog Bruiser is portrayed by an equally adorable but more appropriately sized dog. — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 25 July 2026

Drawing on the testimonies of 255 workers across eight factories in Pakistan, the report portrays an industry beset by pervasive unlawful wages, excessive working hours, harassment, bullying, surveillance and intimidation. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 24 July 2026