PORTRAY

portray

(verb) portray in words; “The book portrays the actor as a selfish person”

portray, depict, limn

(verb) make a portrait of; “Goya wanted to portray his mistress, the Duchess of Alba”

portray, present

(verb) represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture; “The father is portrayed as a good-looking man in this painting”

impersonate, portray

(verb) assume or act the character of; “She impersonates Madonna”; “The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

portray (third-person singular simple present portrays, present participle portraying, simple past and past participle portrayed)

To paint or draw the likeness of.

(figuratively) To describe in words; to convey.

To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event.

(obsolete) To adorn.

Anagrams

• Praytor, parroty

Source: Wiktionary

Por*tray", v. t. [Written also pourtray.] [imp. & p. p. portrayed (; p. pr. & vb. n. Portraying.] Etym: [OE. pourtraien, OF. portraire, pourtraire, F. portraire, fr. L. protrahere, protractum, to draw or drag forth; pro forward, forth + trahere to draw. See Trace, v. t., and cf. Protract.]

1. To paint or draw the likeness of; as, to portray a king on horseback. Take a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem. Ezek. iv. 1.

2. Hence, figuratively, to describe in words.

3. To adorn with pictures. [R.] Spear and helmets thronged, and shields Various with boastful arguments potrayed. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition