portray Definition
por·tray (pôr trā′)
transitive verb
- to make a picture or portrait of; depict; delineate
- to make a word picture of; describe
- to play the part of as in a play or film
Etymology: ME purtreien < MFr portraire < L protrahere, to draw forth < pro-, forth + trahere, to draw
portray Related Forms
por·tray′·able adjective
por·tray′er noun
portray Synonyms
portray
v.
portray Usage Examples
Object
- character: Beside portraying the character, the piece is written in an ' academic ' manner.
- stereotype: He portrayed the stereotypes of beach culture, and the physical features attributed to the typical Aussie male.
- image: Mr Usher has selected his subjects aptly to portray the image of Oslo in its true essence.
- scene: TOM PAGE For a reminder of your holiday in Cornwall this artist portrays lovely sunny scenes of local beauty spots at very reasonable prices.
- violence: Mcnab does not portray pointless violence however, rather it is short, sharp and in keeping with the plot.
- horror: No pen could adequately portray the horrors of this fear- ful night.
Preposition: on
- television: Rugeley Community Church - Discovery Is your understanding of God based on reality, or just on what you see portrayed on television?
- screen: Women are so much more interesting in real life than how they are portrayed on screen.
Subject
actor: Later in the scene Zero interacts with his Boss, portrayed by an actor who performs off-stage in front of a video camera.
Preposition: as
victim: Frequently ill, but brave, loyal and long-suffering, she is portrayed as a helpless victim of bizarre and cruel events.
Modifying Another Word
- vividly: Both vividly portray the material losses inflicted upon Russia by the civil war.
- graphically: I spent some time trying to use the cranes and docks, which are graphically portrayed in the game, but to no avail.
- brilliantly: As brilliantly portrayed by veteran actor George Cole, the man was, of course, Arthur Daley.
- convincingly: This is a novel that convincingly portrays the complexities of the human mind.
- realistically: This having been said many of the incidental features in the illustrations, including the depiction of pots, appear to be realistically portrayed.
- accurately: The film accurately portrays the brutality of 1st century flogging.
Preposition: in
- medium: The ' Hooray Henrys ' often portrayed in the media hardly exist.
- movie: It is without doubt, as cool or cooler than portrayed in the movie.
- film: Canada 82 Who did Kirk Douglas portray in the film Lust For Life?
Preposition: by
actor: Later in the scene Zero interacts with his Boss, portrayed by an actor who performs off-stage in front of a video camera.
Browse dictionary entries near portray
- ‹ portraiture
- ‹ portraitist
- ‹ portrait
- ‹ portobello mushroom
- ‹ Porto Rico
- ‹ porto-
- ‹ Porto Novo
- ‹ portmanteau word
- ‹ portmanteau
- ‹ portly

