Library / English Dictionary

PORTRAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Portray in words

Example:

The book portrays the actor as a selfish person

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "portray" is one way to...):

represent (serve as a means of expressing something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

portrait; portraiture; portrayal (a word picture of a person's appearance and character)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a portrait of

Example:

Goya wanted to portray his mistress, the Duchess of Alba

Synonyms:

depict; limn; portray

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "portray" is one way to...):

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

portraitist (a painter or drawer of portraits)

portraiture (the activity of making portraits)

portrayal; portraying (a representation by picture or portraiture)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture

Example:

The father is portrayed as a good-looking man in this painting

Synonyms:

portray; present

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "portray" is one way to...):

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "portray"):

commend (present as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidence)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

portraitist (a painter or drawer of portraits)

portraiture (the activity of making portraits)

portrayal (representation by drawing or painting etc)

portrayer (a painter or drawer of portraits)

portraying (a representation by picture or portraiture)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Assume or act the character of

Example:

The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man

Synonyms:

impersonate; portray

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "portray" is one way to...):

act; play; represent (play a role or part)

Domain category:

performing arts (arts or skills that require public performance)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

portrayal (acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I liked the hush, the gloom, the quaintness of these retreats in the day; but I by no means coveted a night's repose on one of those wide and heavy beds: shut in, some of them, with doors of oak; shaded, others, with wrought old English hangings crusted with thick work, portraying effigies of strange flowers, and stranger birds, and strangest human beings,—all which would have looked strange, indeed, by the pallid gleam of moonlight.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)