portraits

noun

plural of portrait
as in descriptions
a vivid representation in words of someone or something his account created in the jurors' heads a detailed portrait of a lonely old man

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of portraits In portraits in homes and classrooms, in daily photographs on the front page of the country’s main party newspaper, on the lapel badges that citizens had pinned over their hearts, Kim’s image was the very iconography of the state. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 After two decades in commercial property and about two years of drawing bad dog portraits, Heckels quit his job and started drawing portraits nearly every day instead. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 This gruesome end stands in sharp contrast to the privileged childhoods depicted in the portraits. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026 Granted, Pérez isn’t an unworthy profile subject, but six pages is an awful lot of Vogue for a fashion executive — a few Annie Leibovitz portraits shy of first-lady treatment. — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 Inside the stars are portraits of other women and femme organizers who have worked for access to education or for the advancement of women and femmes in society. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 The exhibition explores the connection between sight and sound through scenes of New York City alongside portraits of jazz musicians. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Lucero does portraits of a calavera, which is an artist’s representation of a skull or skeleton, then photographs each person having their portrait done. — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Below, see Parton’s life in pictures, from her first portraits to her biggest awards. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portraits
  1. descriptions
  2. pictures
  3. depictions
  4. portrayals
  5. sketches
Noun
  • That job needed vivid descriptions that made each performance feel irresistible.
    — Connie Etemadi, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But the primary focus of these chapters is the family’s frenzied social calendar, featuring exhaustive descriptions of parties, guest lists, and gowns.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of descriptions
Noun
  • Starting in the 1930s, as talking pictures and then radio and TV supplanted theater as the prime form of mass entertainment, some were converted to cinemas.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • And, apparently, the eerie pictures are turning people's stomachs.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pictures
Noun
  • The patent includes several depictions that closely resemble its current offerings.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Under each of their names are depictions of their respective childhood homes.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of depictions
Noun
  • Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on presidential portrayals and summer sips.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Google became embroiled in a prior controversy in February 2024 after its Gemini text-to-image tool produced portrayals of racially diverse German WW2 soldiers.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of portrayals
Noun
  • The baseball player, entertainer and social media personality rose to fame with the exhibition barnstorming baseball team, which puts on dance routines, comedy sketches and more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Some historians point to one of Leonardo’s sketches from about the same time that show a David-like nude with a leaf over its groin, arguing that Leonardo wanted Michelangelo’s masterpiece modestly concealed.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sketches

Browse Nearby Words

portrait
portraits
portraiture
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portraits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portraits. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All