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.
This character is portrayed by Mariacarla Boscono, who wears a 1960s-style feminine red coat with gold GG closures that was inspired by Jackie Kennedy. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025 Young, single mother Lorelai runs the town’s bed-and-breakfast, the Independence Inn, alongside her best friend and chef, Sookie — portrayed by Melissa McCarthy — while also navigating weekly dinners with her eccentric, wealthy parents. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025 Routh is expected to continue portraying himself as a peaceful man to counter the prosecution’s arguments. David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025 The In Cold Light star, who made history as the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar for his supporting role in CODA, portrays Joe Mancuso, the head of the criminal underworld. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 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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