described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
describe a picture
The police asked her to describe the thief.
There were so many things he wanted to describe …—
James Joyce
James Joyce2
: to represent by a figure, model, or picture : delineate
described in her paintings what she saw from her window
3
obsolete
: distribute
4
: to trace or traverse the outline of
describe a circle
describer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of describe in a Sentence
The witness wasn't able to describe the robber.
He described the house in perfect detail.
The article describes how the experiment was done.
She described watching dolphins play beside the ship.
Please describe what happened next.
Can you describe the lost dog to me?
She used a stick to describe a circle on the ground.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patel is a 29-year-old municipal council member who also describes herself as a progressive.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
And, hitting shelves Tuesday, novelist Amy Tan in The Backyard Bird Chronicles tightens the focus in describing and drawing the array of birds that visit her yard in California.
—Barbara J. King, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
The World Economic Forum describes the water crisis as our most urgent challenge today, and this entrepreneurial-minded water charity’s mission to provide communities with access to clean drinking water is significant.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Smartwool Active Women’s Leggings Buy on REI $120 The name of this product perfectly describes it, as these are leggings made of wool and intended for active women.
—Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2024
The book describes the relationship between naval power and the rise of civilizations dating back to antiquity, and pieces together a sine wave, during which a civilization rises to greatness, denudes its forests, loses naval power, and ultimately its empire.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
McCarthy declined to be interviewed, perhaps because of the ways — feckless, morally bankrupt — your friendly columnist has described him.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The food, over all, is best described as precise: ingredients of excellent quality, handled with expertise.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2024
The two words could also describe the reaction of their fans.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
And, hitting shelves Tuesday, novelist Amy Tan in The Backyard Bird Chronicles tightens the focus in describing and drawing the array of birds that visit her yard in California.
—Barbara J. King, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024
The World Economic Forum describes the water crisis as our most urgent challenge today, and this entrepreneurial-minded water charity’s mission to provide communities with access to clean drinking water is significant.
—Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Smartwool Active Women’s Leggings Buy on REI $120 The name of this product perfectly describes it, as these are leggings made of wool and intended for active women.
—Cassandra Brooklyn, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2024
The book describes the relationship between naval power and the rise of civilizations dating back to antiquity, and pieces together a sine wave, during which a civilization rises to greatness, denudes its forests, loses naval power, and ultimately its empire.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
McCarthy declined to be interviewed, perhaps because of the ways — feckless, morally bankrupt — your friendly columnist has described him.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The food, over all, is best described as precise: ingredients of excellent quality, handled with expertise.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2024
The two words could also describe the reaction of their fans.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'describe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to describe
Dictionary Entries Near describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
describe
verb
de·scribe
di-ˈskrīb 
described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
2
: to trace the outline of
describe a circle
describer
noun
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