describe vs portray

describe

verb
  • To represent in words. 

  • To give rise to a geometrical structure. 

  • To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa. 

  • To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out. 

portray

verb
  • To describe in words; to convey. 

  • To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event. 

  • To paint or draw the likeness of. 

  • To represent by an image or look. 

How often have the words describe and portray occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )