Synonyms of portrayal

portrayal

noun

pȯr-ˈtrā(-ə)l 

as in depiction

a vivid representation in words of someone or something

his novel presents a moving portrayal of a woman searching for personal fulfillment and happiness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• depiction
• description
• portrait
• picture
• tale
• definition
• sketch
• rendering
• delineation
• account
• portraiture
• narrative
• vignette
• story
• illustration
• chronicle
• report
• explanation
• anecdote
• demonstration
• yarn
• exposition
• clarification
• exemplification
• elucidation
• explication

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of portrayal

Particularly affecting is Millet’s portrayal of grief as an ongoing reshaping of identity rather than a single transformative event. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026

But she’s been excited to see Morton get more global attention this year for her portrayal of Circe in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

During an interview with writer Tina Brown (below), Charles Spencer responded to one of the journalist’s questions about fictional portrayals of his late sister, the Princess of Wales, who famously died in 1997 at age 36 amid a high-speed car crash. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2026

The show was frank in its portrayal of, among other subjects, social isolation, economic disparity, the immigrant experience and unconventional families. — Darryn King, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026