English → Latin
“portray” in Latin
fingōto shape, fashion, form, knead (dough); to touch, touch gently, stroke, stroke gently, handle; to adorn, dress, arrangeeffingōto form, fashion; to represent, portray, express, depict; imitate, copy; to wipe out, wipe cleandēfōrmōto form, fashion; to design, delineate, describe; to deform, disfigure; to spoil, mar
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
portray
exprimere imaginem alicujus rei (to give the general form of anything): formam alicujus describere (to mark out the whole shape): dtlineare imaginem alicujus (to give in outline): exscribere imaginem alicujus (to copy): fingere (to form): effingere (to form after an original): aliquid formare, deformare (to form, from a shapeless mass. ☞ The last four words especially of plastic artists): *aliquem or aliquid coloribus reddere (to paint).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for portray?
- The usual Latin words for “portray” are fingō, effingō, dēfōrmō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.