Meaning & use
paint the picture
Last updated
UK/ˌpeɪnt ðə ˈpɪktʃə/
US/ˌpeɪnt ðə ˈpɪktʃər/
Meaning
phraseidiom
To describe something in a way that helps people imagine it clearly.
Grammar: Often used as 'paint a picture of something'. It does not take a direct object like 'paint the picture the scene'.
Patterns
- paint a picture of something
- paint the picture of something
The report paints a picture of a city in crisis.
Her words painted a picture of a happy childhood.
The data paints a clear picture of what is happening.
Common combinations
- paint a picture of something
- The novel paints a picture of life in the 19th century.
- paint a bleak picture
- The survey paints a bleak picture of the economy.
- paint a vivid picture
- He painted a vivid picture of the storm.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: paint the picture or paint a picture?
paint the picture vs paint a picture
This can also mean to literally make a painting. Context tells you which meaning is intended.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'paint the picture' idiomatically?
Choose one answer.
Only option A uses the idiom to mean 'describe'. The others are about literal painting.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “paint the picture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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