depict

Everyday

1. To depict something means to show it in a picture, painting, statue or film. tree →
2. To depict means to describe something in words so readers can imagine it. tree →

In the lessons

In art and history lessons pupils study what old paintings, carvings and maps depict. In English lessons we ask how a writer depicts a character. A bit formal; in everyday talk people say "show" or "describe". Phrases: depict as, depicted in, the scene depicts.

Examples

• The painting depicts a ship in a storm. tree →
• Cave paintings depict horses and bison. tree →
• The film depicts life in a small village. tree →
• In the story the wolf is depicted as clever and sly. tree →
• Draw a picture that depicts your favourite place. tree →
• The stamp depicts the queen. tree →
• She is sometimes depicted sitting in a chariot, drawn by lions. tree →

Note

Regular verb: depicted, depicting. Noun: depiction. "Depict as" means show in a certain way. Do not mix it up with "describe" exactly: depict is often about pictures, but can be about words too.