portray
verb/pɔːˈtreɪ/
/pɔːrˈtreɪ/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they portray | /pɔːˈtreɪ/ /pɔːrˈtreɪ/ |
| he / she / it portrays | /pɔːˈtreɪz/ /pɔːrˈtreɪz/ |
| past simple portrayed | /pɔːˈtreɪd/ /pɔːrˈtreɪd/ |
| past participle portrayed | /pɔːˈtreɪd/ /pɔːrˈtreɪd/ |
| -ing form portraying | /pɔːˈtreɪɪŋ/ /pɔːrˈtreɪɪŋ/ |
- portray somebody/something to show somebody/something in a picture; to describe somebody/something in a piece of writing synonym depict
- The painting portrays the duke’s third wife.
- He was one of the first to portray animals from the New World.
- His war poetry vividly portrays life in the trenches.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- accurately
- clearly
- graphically
- …
- attempt to
- try to
- as
- portray somebody/something (as somebody/something) to describe or show somebody/something in a particular way, especially when this does not give a complete or accurate impression of what they are like synonym represent
- Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- accurately
- clearly
- graphically
- …
- attempt to
- try to
- as
- portray somebody/something to act a particular role in a film or play synonym play
- Her father will be portrayed by Jim Broadbent.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French portraire, based on traire ‘to draw’, from an alteration of Latin trahere.
Check pronunciation:
portray