American Dictionary

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Definition portray in American English

portray verb

[transitive] verb
/pɔrˈtreɪ/
1

to show or describe someone or something in a particular way

Example

Opponents portray the president as weak and ineffectual.

Example

The newspapers want to portray the project in the worst possible light.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

to show something by featuring it in a movie, book, play, etc.

Example

The book portrays Caribbean society against a background of the French Revolution.

Synonyms and related words
2

if an actor portrays a person, they play the part of that person in a movie, play, etc.

Synonyms and related words
Definition portray in American English