Meanings
present singular third person portrays · participle present portraying · participle past portrayed · past portrayed · alternative obsolete pourtray
- figurativelyTo 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 - obsoleteTo adorn.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbrepresent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchportraire
- Middle Englishportray
- Englishportray
From Middle English portray, from Middle French portraire.
More words from Middle English, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek εἰκάζω
- εἰκάζω (eikázō)to paint or draw the likeness of
Bulgarian изобразя́вам, рисувам портрет
- изобразя́вам (izobrazjávam)to paint or draw the likeness of
- рисувам портрет (risuvam portret)to paint or draw the likeness of
- описвам (opisvam)figuratively: to describe in words
- обрисувам (obrisuvam)figuratively: to describe in words
- играя роля (igraja rolja)to play a role
Chinese Mandarin 扮演
- 扮演 (bànyǎn)to play a role
Dutch portretteren
- portretterento paint or draw the likeness of
Esperanto portreti, prezenti
- portretito paint or draw the likeness of
- prezentifiguratively: to describe in words
Finnish piirtää kuva (jonkun/jonkin), kuvailla
- piirtää kuva (jonkun/jonkin)to paint or draw the likeness of
- kuvaillafiguratively: to describe in words
- esittääto play a role
French dépeindre, représenter
- dépeindreto paint or draw the likeness of
- représenterto paint or draw the likeness of
- portraireto paint or draw the likeness of
- décrirefiguratively: to describe in words
German porträtieren, abmalen
- porträtierento paint or draw the likeness of
- abmalento paint or draw the likeness of
- porträtierenfiguratively: to describe in words
Greek απεικονίζω, ἐϊκάσδω
- απεικονίζω (apeikonízo)to paint or draw the likeness of
- ἐϊκάσδω (eïkásdō)to paint or draw the likeness of
Hungarian megfest, leír
- megfestto paint or draw the likeness of
- leírfiguratively: to describe in words
- lefestfiguratively: to describe in words
Korean 묘사하다
- 묘사하다 (myosahada)figuratively: to describe in words
Polish portretować, portretować
- portretowaćto paint or draw the likeness of
- portretowaćfiguratively: to describe in words
- opisywaćfiguratively: to describe in words
Portuguese retratar
- retratarto paint or draw the likeness of
Russian изобрази́ть, изобража́ть
- изобрази́ть (izobrazítʹ)to paint or draw the likeness of
- изобража́ть (izobražátʹ)to play a role
Spanish retratar
- retratarto paint or draw the likeness of
Swedish porträttera, skildra
- porträtterato paint or draw the likeness of
- skildrafiguratively: to describe in words
- porträtterafiguratively: to describe in words
- gestaltato play a role
- porträtterato play a role
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with portray
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
portray. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portray
“portray.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portray. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “portray,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/portray.
Source: portray on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.