portray

portray — verb

1. to create a picture or artistic description of a person, place, or thing.

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to create a picture or artistic description of a person, place, or thing.

Example

A young artist portrayed her grandfather with a soft smile and tired eyes.

portray + person in a painting

The mural portrays market women carrying fruit through the old town square.

portray + scene in visual art

Common collocations
  • portray a face
  • portray a scene
  • portray village life
  • portray the landscape
Synonyms
  • depict

    slightly more formal; especially common for visual or detailed representation

  • describe

    broader and more neutral; not always artistic

  • illustrate

    often used for drawings added to explain a text

Grammar Patterns

portray + person/place/thing

portray + scene in art or writing

Usage Note

Object is the person, place, or thing shown. Unlike sense 2, this sense does not need an extra judgment such as 'as cruel' or 'as brave'.

Common Mistakes

The artist portrayed about village life.
The artist portrayed village life.
'portray' takes a direct object, not 'about'.

2. to make a person, group, or situation seem to have certain qualities when it is

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to make a person, group, or situation seem to have certain qualities when it is shown or discussed.

Example

The article portrayed the coach as cold, ignoring his work with local children.

portray + someone as + adjective

In the film, the city is portrayed as a place of easy money.

passive: be portrayed as + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • portray someone as a hero
  • portray the city as dangerous
  • portray events as random
  • portray life as hopeless
Synonyms
  • present

    broader and more neutral; common for information or arguments as well as people

  • characterize

    more analytical; focuses on naming a quality

  • paint

    vivid and less formal in this figurative meaning, as in 'paint someone as selfish'

Grammar Patterns

portray + somebody/something + as + noun/adjective

be portrayed as + noun/adjective

Usage Note

Often followed by 'as' plus a noun or adjective, and frequently passive. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense adds an angle or judgment about what the person or thing is like.

Common Mistakes

The article portrayed him to be a hero.
The article portrayed him as a hero.
use 'as', not 'to be', after this sense.

3. to perform the part of a particular character or real person in a film, play, or

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to perform the part of a particular character or real person in a film, play, or other show.

Example

In the new series, Aya portrays a doctor who hides a family secret.

actor + portray + role on screen

Daniel portrayed Hamlet on stage during the school arts festival.

portray + named character on stage

Common collocations
  • portray Hamlet
  • portray a doctor
  • portray the queen
  • portray a parent on screen
Synonyms
  • play

    the most common everyday verb for acting a role

  • act

    broader; can mean perform generally, not only a specific role

  • embody

    more literary; stresses fully expressing the character

Grammar Patterns

portray + character/person in a film or play

be portrayed by + actor

Usage Note

Used for actors and performers. The object is the character or real person acted, not the title of the film or play.

Common Mistakes

She portrayed in a famous TV series.
She portrayed a nurse in a famous TV series.
name the character or role as the object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

'Portray' and 'depict' both show how someone or something appears in a book, film, article, or picture, but 'portray' is especially common when an image or interpretation is being shaped. It often suggests that the writer, artist, or reporter is guiding the audience toward a certain view, especially with 'as'. 'Depict' is slightly more formal and often sounds more visual or descriptive. 'Present' is broader and more neutral: it can refer to the way facts or ideas are given, not only the image of a person. 'Characterize' is more analytical and focuses on naming the quality itself. 'Paint' is vivid and idiomatic in phrases like 'paint him as selfish'. A report may portray a protest as violent, while another report presents the same event more calmly.

portray ↗depict ↗present ↗characterize ↗paint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • portray someone
  • portray a character
  • portray a scene
  • portray an event

Adverbs

  • accurately portray
  • vividly portray
  • faithfully portray
  • sympathetically portray

Phrases

  • be portrayed as
  • be portrayed by
  • portray someone in fiction

Prepositions

  • portray as
  • portrayed by
  • portrayed in

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Portray came into English in the Middle English period from Anglo-French forms meaning 'draw' or 'represent'. Those French forms go back to Latin elements connected with moving something forward and drawing it out. The oldest picture behind the word is therefore one of pulling lines out into view, which suits its early use for drawing and painting and its later wider use for description and acting.