Standard Lemma guide

depict

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪˈpɪkt/ weak vowel distinction
  • [dɪˈpɪkt] weak vowel distinction
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /dəˈpɪkt/ weak vowel merger
  • [dəˈpɪkt] weak vowel merger
  • rhymes with -ɪkt
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 P IH1 K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Depicted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

Examples

  • Early 1400s, John Lydgate, “The Concords of Company” in James Orchard Halliwell (ed.), A Selection from the Minor Poems of Dan John Lydgate, London: The Percy Society, 1840, p. 177, I fond a lyknesse depict upon a wal, Armed in vertues, as I walk up and doun, The hed of thre ful solempne and roial, Intellectus, memorye, and resoun;

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To render a representation of something, using words, sounds, images, or other means.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1994, E. Pennisi, "Breathe (xenon) deeply to see lungs clearly," Science News, vol. 146, no. 5, p. 70 (caption), False-color computer images depict lungs removed from a mouse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: portray, express, exhibit, register, show, describe, bespeak, visualise, draw, render, depicture

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

give a description of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He drew an elaborate plan of attack

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: describe, draw

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: set forth, expound, exposit

Narrower terms: represent, delineate, sketch, outline, adumbrate

4

verb

Meaning 4

show in, or as in, a picture

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This scene depicts country life
  • the face of the child is rendered with much tenderness in this painting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: picture, render, show

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: represent, interpret

Narrower terms: illustrate, map

5

verb

Meaning 5

make a portrait of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Goya wanted to portray his mistress, the Duchess of Alba

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: portray, limn

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: represent, interpret

History

Etymology

From Middle English depicten, from Latin dēpictus, from dēpingō.

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: опи́свам (opísvam) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Bulgarian: изобразявам (izobrazjavam) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Chinese Mandarin: 描繪 /描绘 (miáohuì) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Chinese Mandarin: 描述 (miáoshù) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Danish: afbilde — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Danish: gengiv — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Danish: skildre — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Dutch: afbeelden — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Dutch: beschrijven — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Esperanto: figuri — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Esperanto: prezenti — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Estonian: kujutama — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Finnish: kuvata — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • French: représenter — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • French: décrire — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • German: darstellen — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • German: beschreiben — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • German: abbilden — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Hungarian: lerajzol — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Hungarian: lefest — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Hungarian: leír — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Hungarian: ábrázol — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Ido: deskriptar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Ido: piktar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Ido: reprezentar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Interlingua: depinger — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Italian: rappresentare — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Italian: raffigurare — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Japanese: 描く (kaku) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Malayalam: ചിത്രീകരിക്കുക (citrīkarikkuka) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian: skildre — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian: avbilde — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian: forestille — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian: beskrive — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fremstille — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: framstille — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: framstilla — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skildra — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avbilda — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: beskriva — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Polish: przedstawiać — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Polish: przedstawić — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Polish: obrazować — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Polish: zobrazować — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Portuguese: representar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Portuguese: retratar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Portuguese: descrever — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Romanian: înfățișa — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Romanian: descrie — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Romanian: picta — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Romanian: ilustra — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Romanian: reprezenta — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: изобража́ть (izobražátʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: изобрази́ть (izobrazítʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: обрисо́вывать (obrisóvyvatʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: обрисова́ть (obrisovátʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: опи́сывать (opísyvatʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Russian: описа́ть (opisátʹ) — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Lower Sorbian: wótmólowaś — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Spanish: plasmar — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Swedish: framställa — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Swedish: skildra — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
  • Turkish: tasvir etmek — to render a representation of something — see also describe, represent, illustrate, characterize, portray
Real reading context

depict in complete knowledge articles