What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
portray
Example
The artist portrayed the beauty of the sunset in her painting. [portray: verb]
Example
He portrayed the role of a detective in the movie. [portrayed: past tense]
Example
The article portrayed the politician as a corrupt and dishonest person. [portrayed: past participle]
illustrate
Example
The diagram illustrates the process of photosynthesis. [illustrates: present tense]
Example
The book is illustrated with beautiful watercolor paintings. [illustrated: past tense]
Example
The teacher used a story to illustrate the concept of empathy. [illustrate: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Illustrate is more commonly used than portray in everyday language. Illustrate is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while portray is less common and refers to a specific type of representation or depiction.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between portray and illustrate?
Both portray and illustrate are formal words that can be used in academic or professional contexts to clarify or explain a concept or idea.
