ENGLISH
REFERENCE

portraying

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //pɔɹˈtɹeɪɪŋ// UK //pɔːtɹˈeɪɪŋ// por·tray·ing

v. showing or describing someone or something in a specific way, like in a painting, movie, or book.

v. representing or depicting a person or subject in a creative work. Present participle of 'portray'; functions as the head of a progressive verb phrase or as a gerund.


SIMPLE

The actor is portraying a famous scientist in his new movie.

CONTEXTUAL

By portraying the protagonist as a flawed hero, the author makes the story feel much more realistic.

COMPLEX

The documentary was criticised for portraying the local community as helpless victims rather than active participants in the rebuilding process, sparking a debate about media ethics.

Synonyms
Usage

Often takes an object followed by a prepositional phrase starting with 'as'.

Pitfall

The movie is portraying about the war.The movie is portraying the war.Portray is a transitive verb and takes a direct object; it does not require the preposition 'about'.

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