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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tim Burton's version of the movie saw Keaton as a dark, surly Batman, shaping the way the character would be portrayed for the next three decades. Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025 The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack. Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2025 In the 1998 classic — which saw Lindsay Lohan in her film debut — Quaid portrayed vineyard owner Nick Parker, the father of twins Hallie and Annie (both Lohan), who convince him to reunite with their mother Elizabeth (played by Natasha Richardson). Brendan Le, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025 In contrast to the anti-immigrant rhetoric emanating from the White House, the survey of 800 California voters portrays a populace that values the contributions of immigrants, regardless of legal status, and believes their well-being is intertwined with a well-functioning state. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for portray

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portray. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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
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