portrait

/'pɔ:trit/

Thân thiện

The artist paints a portrait of a woman in her studio.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders: A "portrait" is a visual representation, typically focusing on a person's likeness.
   • A detailed verbal description of a person: A "portrait" can also be a vivid written or spoken account that captures someone's character or appearance.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Visual Art):
  • The gallery displayed a famous portrait of the queen.
  • She commissioned an artist to paint her portrait.
• Noun (Verbal Description):
  • The author's biography is a compelling portrait of a complex leader.
  • His speech painted a grim portrait of life during the war.

Advanced Usage

• "To sit for a portrait": To pose for an artist or photographer to create one's likeness.
  • The senator sat for his official portrait last week.
• "Portrait of a...": Used figuratively to describe something that perfectly represents or encapsulates a particular quality, era, or place.
  • The film is a poignant portrait of childhood innocence.

Variants and Related Words

• Portraiture (n): The art or practice of making portraits.
  • She studied portraiture at the art school.
• Portraitist (n): An artist who paints or draws portraits.
  • He gained fame as a portraitist of European royalty.

Synonyms

• Likeness: A representation of a person, especially a portrait.
• Depiction: A representation in art or words.
• Profile: A short description or a side-view portrait.

Related Phrases

• Portrait mode: A setting on a camera or smartphone designed for photographing people, often blurring the background.
  • Switch your camera to portrait mode for a better picture.
• Portrait orientation: The vertical layout of a page or image where the height is greater than the width (contrasted with landscape orientation).
  • Please format the document in portrait orientation.

Related Idioms

• A portrait in courage: A phrase describing someone who exemplifies great bravery.
  • The documentary was a portrait in courage, showcasing the firefighters' heroism.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any likeness of a person, in any medium
   • the photographer made excellent portraits
2. a word picture of a person's appearance and character

Từ đồng nghĩa

• portrayal
• portraiture