From Middle English portray, from Middle French portraire.

• (RP) IPA: /pɔːˈtɹeɪ/
• (America, Canada) IPA: /pɔɹˈtɹeɪ/
• (Australia) IPA: /poːˈtɹæɪ/

portray (portrays, present participle portraying; simple past and past participle portrayed)

1. To paint or draw the likeness of.

   I will portray a king on horseback.

2. (figuratively) To represent by an image or look.
   • c. 1587–1588, [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 ↗:

     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.

3. (figuratively) To describe in words; to convey.
4. To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event.

   For my next movie, I will be portraying Shakespeare.

5. (obsolete) To adorn.

• portrait
• portrayal

• French: dépeindre, représenter, portraire
• German: porträtieren, abmalen
• Portuguese: retratar
• Russian: изобразить
• Spanish: retratar

• French: décrire
• German: porträtieren
• Spanish: describir

• Russian: изображать