portray

verb

por·​tray pȯr-ˈtrā How to pronounce portray (audio)
pər-
portrayed; portraying; portrays
Synonyms of portray

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

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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.
There is a chorus of 14, singing sheep and a pair of dogs (hilariously portrayed by Catriona Hewitson and Edward Jowle), whose barks become words that Theresa understands as she becomes strung out. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 Fess Parker, who portrayed Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone before becoming a Santa Barbara vintner, lived there, as did Samuel Battistone, founder of the Sambo’s restaurant chain and the original owner of the Utah Jazz. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2026 The actor portrayed Didi’s husband and Tommy and Dil’s father throughout the series, reprising the role for the Rugrats movies and All Grown Up! — Madeline Boardman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026 Most crucial to the story, however, was finding a way to portray Bourdain’s struggles between the dark and light sides of the restaurant business. — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for portray

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Browse Nearby Words

portraiture
portray
portrayal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portray. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of portray for Spanish Speakers

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