describe

verb

di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
Definition of describenext
1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of describe Before an international conference in Kigali in 2021, some of the city’s poorest residents were detained in a warehouse described as a transit center until foreign visitors had left, according to HRW. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Britain rebuilds defense industry British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the opening as a return to domestic weapons production after a 20-year gap. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 The notes described which services were free and what information someone could find through them. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The companies described it as the first pay-per-view offering of its kind on JioHotstar. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
  1. depict
  2. tell
  3. characterize
  4. portray
  5. relate
  6. define
  7. illustrate
  8. recount
Verb
  • Specifically, the king created a watercolor depicting Birkhall, the British royal family’s private country residence in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the Balmoral estate, which was reproduced on some of the pieces in the capsule collection.
    — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the film contrasts light and dark, yet the scene depicting Robert Ford’s murder takes place in a bar housed in a tent, surrounded by snow, its interior swathed in flat, even light.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Beirut City Pop, the latest compilation by archival label Habibi Funk, tells the story of the artists who dared to imagine a life beyond war.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Adam Hamilton Hamilton, the Democratic nominee, has characterized the war as a major foreign policy blunder.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Shigella bacteria cause shigellosis, an illness characterized by severe diarrhea, that is sometimes bloody or prolonged, and fever.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterize
Verb
  • Rogers has increasingly portrayed El-Sayed as an extremist and a threat to Jewish voters as the Republican tries to win over a traditionally Democratic constituency.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Landon starred as the Ingalls family patriarch, Charles, Karen Grassle played his wife, Caroline, and Gilbert portrayed their daughter, Laura.
    — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • His interview with O’Donnell relates his story—a faulty parachute, a tough crash, a long bloody hike, and survival until he was rescued by an American plane—in a genuinely moving way.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The high amount of overtime at the mental health department is related mainly to nurses working at the state’s mental health hospitals, Whiting and Connecticut Valley Hospital, which are both in Middletown.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of relate
Verb
  • The strategy defines six goals that are intended to address each of the challenges alongside corresponding objectives to guide NASA’s achievements of the goals.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Mega-cap companies are generally defined as those with market capitalizations exceeding $200 billion.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Criminal conduct before citizenship The case illustrates how criminal conduct committed before naturalization can have consequences years after an immigrant becomes an American citizen.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The sellers made a mistake — and a trip to the poker table helps illustrate their folly.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • Wandering further afield, Wright recounts the case of Walker Railey, a Methodist minister accused of strangling his wife and leaving her in a vegetative state.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rifkin recounted how an ordinary Saturday of shopping ended with Sierra leaving Machado, Julia and Daniela rotting in a closet and being eaten by insects.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of recount

Browse Nearby Words

descrambling
describe
described
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Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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