PORTRAYED Synonyms: 99 Similar and Opposite Words

portrayed

verb

past tense of portray

as in described

to give a representation or account of in words the author portrays her characters with lifelike vividness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in characterized

to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group traditionally, European authors portrayed the natives as wise and noble

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as in depicted

to present a picture of a landscape that portrays the scenery near the town where the painter grew up

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as in played

to present a portrayal or performance of gained fame portraying Susan B. Anthony in a one-woman show

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of portrayed Aliens, for the most part, have been portrayed as devastating lifeforms that are a threat to Earth. — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 July 2026 She’s portrayed as misguided and misunderstood, not evil. — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 26 June 2026 The main character, Andy Sachs, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, showcases an honest and open style of leadership. — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Critics have portrayed the idea as anti-religious and ahistorical ever since the Supreme Court embraced it in 1947. — Steven K. Green, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Only in these United States can the progeny of people once portrayed as parasites and invaders side with those making the same argument about the latest batch of newcomers. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 That's meant to safeguard the summit, but also to display strength and underscore Turkey’s commitment to the military alliance, even as it is often portrayed as an outlier within it. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Fallon held up a 25-year-old photo of the actress and producer — who originally portrayed Elle Woods — rocking a spaghetti-strap pink fishnet mermaid dress. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 Miller is mostly effective as the young Washington of the title, more of an action star vibe than the George Washington Hollywood has sparsely portrayed in his older years and as President. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portrayed

Verb

One person, described only as a male, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to fire officials.

— Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Investigators previously described the suspect as a man, but during a news conference on Friday, prosecutors said Berezovsk was allegedly dressed as a man during the package bomb attack.

— Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 3 July 2026

Definition of described

Verb

El Niño describes a pattern characterized by warmer water in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
In the public imagination, Novak Djokovic has tended to be characterized as the greatest defensive player in the history of men’s tennis, and, along with Andre Agassi, as the best returner.

— Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of characterized

Verb

This image combines X-ray data from Chandra along with optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope, depicted here in blue.

— Brett Tingley, Space.com, 1 July 2026
Trump captioned his Monday, June 29 post on Truth Social, which depicted the eagle with its wings open wide and carrying a stars and stripes shield.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Definition of depicted

Verb

When Doncic played for the Dallas Mavericks and led them to the 2024 NBA Finals, his two centers — Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford — were exceptional in their roles as lob threats, blocking shots and rolling to the rim.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
The rivalry is so intense that overnight in Mexico, fans played instruments, sang, and made as much noise as possible outside the Ecuador team hotel to deprive the squad of sleep.

— Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of played

Verb

Court reporters say the job can be performed only by a human being, who can intervene to ensure everyone is heard and who bears responsibility if a transcript is missing or incomplete.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Atlas performed a series of soccer moves developed using a combination of motion retargeting, reinforcement learning and whole-body control.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of performed

Verb

This column is designed to be educational and informational only and should not be interpreted as medical advice.

— Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
This was offered as a way of talking about the Spanish capital on the whole, but it has been widely interpreted as flirting with 15-time Champions League winners Los Blancos.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of interpreted

Browse Nearby Words

portrayals

portrayed

portraying

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“Portrayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portrayed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of portrayed

verb

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