French word

portraire

Pronunciation

IPA/pɔʁtʁɛʁ/

Meaning

  • verbportray

Example

L'écrivain sait portraire bien ses personnages.

The writer is good at portraying his characters.

Illustration for portraire (portray)

More examples

Il aime portraire la vie quotidienne dans ses récits.

He likes to portray daily life in his stories.

Core concept

A writer brings a character's visible and inner features into a vivid portrait.

Common phrases

  • portraire la vie quotidienne

    portray daily life

  • portraire en détail

    portray in detail

Similar words

décrire: To give a clear verbal account of someone's appearance or circumstances.
présenter: To introduce a person or object and make it known.
dépeindre: To portray the character of a person or the mood of a scene in detail.

Definition in French

Décrit ou fait apparaître les traits d'un personnage ou d'une chose, souvent avec une nuance expressive ou évaluative.

Word origin

French portraire comes from Old French portraire, from Latin protrahere, meaning 'draw forth', fitting the act of bringing features into view.

Usage tips

  • Portraire has a literary or formal flavor, whereas décrire is usually the more neutral choice in everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • describeverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word