portray

verb

por·​tray pȯr-ˈtrā 

pər-

portrayed; portraying; portrays

transitive verb

1

: to make a picture of : depict

2

a

: to describe in a particular way

The article portrayed the president as confident.

b

: to play the role of : enact

portrays the hero in the film

portrayer noun

Synonyms of portray

• describe
• depict

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

Only in these United States can the progeny of people once portrayed as parasites and invaders side with those making the same argument about the latest batch of newcomers. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Fallon held up a 25-year-old photo of the actress and producer — who originally portrayed Elle Woods — rocking a spaghetti-strap pink fishnet mermaid dress. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Rather than acknowledging the reckless play that earned her suspension, Thomas immediately shifted the focus to herself, portraying her punishment, rather than the hit on Clark, as the real injustice. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

From historic plays like the Immaculate Reception to cultural phenomena such as NFL Films and fantasy football, the list vividly portrays the rich and diverse tapestry of American sports, underscoring its profound impact on the nation's culture. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English portraien, purtrayen, purtreyen "to draw, paint, depict, decorate, form a mental image of," borrowed from Anglo-French purtraire "to represent (in drawing, painting, etc.), depict, decorate, plan" (also continental Old French pourtraire), from pur-, pour-, por-, prefix marking completion of an action (going back to Latin prō-, prefix denoting forward movement) + traire "to drag, pull, draw out, launch, shoot, trace, represent," going back to Latin trahere "to drag, draw, take along" — more at pro- entry 2, abstract entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for portray

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

portray

verb

por·​tray pōr-ˈtrā 

pȯr-

1

: to make a portrait of

2

a

: to describe in words

b

: to play the role of

portrayer noun