describe

de·scribe

transitive verb \di-ˈskrīb\

: to tell someone the appearance, sound, smell, events, etc., of (something or someone) : to say what something or someone is like

: to make a motion or draw a line that shows the shape of (something)

de·scribedde·scrib·ing

Full Definition of DESCRIBE

1

:  to represent or give an account of in words <describe a picture>

2

:  to represent by a figure, model, or picture :  delineate

3

obsolete :  distribute

4

:  to trace or traverse the outline of <describe a circle>

5

archaic :  observe, perceive

— de·scrib·able \-ˈskrī-bə-bəl\ adjective

— de·scrib·er noun

Examples of DESCRIBE

1. The witness wasn't able to describe the robber.
2. He described the house in perfect detail.
3. The article describes how the experiment was done.
4. She described watching dolphins play beside the ship.
5. Please describe what happened next.
6. Can you describe the lost dog to me?
7. She used a stick to describe a circle on the ground.

Origin of DESCRIBE

Middle English, from Latin describere, from de- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to DESCRIBE

Synonyms

delineate, depict, draw, image, limn, paint, picture, portray, render, set out, sketch

Related Words

characterize, define, label, qualify, represent; demonstrate, illustrate; narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report, tell; display, exhibit, show; hint, suggest; draft, outline, silhouette, trace, vignette; summarize, sum up, touch off; redescribe, reimage

Near Antonyms

color, distort, falsify, garble, misdescribe, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, twist, warp