Dictionary

portray en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• [pʰoɹˈtɹ̝̊eɪ̯] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• [pʰɔɹˈtɹ̝̊eɪ̯] (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• /pɔːˈtɹeɪ̯/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /pɚˈtɹeɪ̯/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• [pʰoːˈtɹ̝̊æ̝ɪ̯] (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /poːˈtɹæ̝ɪ̯/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /poɹˈtɹeɪ̯/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)
• [pʰɔːˈtɹ̝̊eɪ̯] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /pɔɹˈtɹeɪ̯/ (Canadian, General-American, Standard)

Etymology

From Middle English portray, from Middle French portraire.

Meanings

1. To paint or draw the likeness of.
   • I will portray a king on horseback.
2. (figuratively) To represent by an image or look.
   • Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death, And in his eies the furies of his heart, That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng, And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
3. (figuratively) To describe in words; to convey.
4. To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event.
   • For my next movie, I will be portraying Shakespeare.
5. (obsolete) To adorn.

Forms

Deriveds

portrayable · portrayer · portrayee · portrayist · misportray

Relateds

portrayal · portrait

Translations (44)

ru изобража́ть (to play a role) · pt retratar (to paint or draw the likeness of) · sh portretirati (to paint or draw the likeness of) · az qələmə almaq (figuratively: to describe in words) · sv skildra (figuratively: to describe in words) · fi kuvailla (figuratively: to describe in words) · mg mampiseho (to paint or draw the likeness of) · de porträtieren (figuratively: to describe in words) · fi piirtää kuva (jonkun/jonkin) (to paint or draw the likeness of) · cmn 扮演 (to play a role) · pl portretować (figuratively: to describe in words) · gl retratar (to paint or draw the likeness of) · hu leír (figuratively: to describe in words) · el απεικονίζω (to paint or draw the likeness of) · hu megfest (to paint or draw the likeness of) · bg изобразя́вам (to paint or draw the likeness of) · sv porträttera (figuratively: to describe in words) · fr dépeindre (to paint or draw the likeness of) · pl portretować (to paint or draw the likeness of) · grc ἐϊκάσδω (to paint or draw the likeness of) · bg описвам (figuratively: to describe in words) · eo portreti (to paint or draw the likeness of) · sv porträttera (to play a role) · fr portraire (to paint or draw the likeness of) · fi esittää (to play a role) · bg обрисувам (figuratively: to describe in words) · sv porträttera (to paint or draw the likeness of) · fr décrire (figuratively: to describe in words) · mg maneho an-tsary (to paint or draw the likeness of) · eo prezenti (figuratively: to describe in words) · ru изобрази́ть (to paint or draw the likeness of) · nl portretteren (to paint or draw the likeness of) · de abmalen (to paint or draw the likeness of) · sv gestalta (to play a role) · pl opisywać (figuratively: to describe in words) · es retratar (to paint or draw the likeness of) · bg играя роля (to play a role) · ko 묘사하다 (figuratively: to describe in words) · bg рисувам портрет (to paint or draw the likeness of) · hu lefest (figuratively: to describe in words) · dsb wótmólowaś (to paint or draw the likeness of) · grc εἰκάζω (to paint or draw the likeness of) · de porträtieren (to paint or draw the likeness of) · fr représenter (to paint or draw the likeness of)