Library / English Dictionary |
PORTRAY
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they portray ... he / she / it portrays
Past simple: portrayed
-ing form: portraying
Sense 1
Meaning:
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:
Example:
Goya wanted to portray his mistress, the Duchess of Alba
Synonyms:
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)
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)