described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
describe a picture
The police asked her to describe the thief.
The article describes how the experiment was done.
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
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
Media reports out of Los Angeles chronicling AllHere’s collapse described Kerr as one of many people who were misled or betrayed by the company.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
The crisp, flaky tortilla is fried in-house, and the inside is as described.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers considering several bills that could fundamentally change the nature of the landlord-tenant relationship heard from a number of tenants on Tuesday who described losing their homes, unfair rent increases and poor living conditions.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
An employee was shot and fled to a nearby home before being taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
The crisp, flaky tortilla is fried in-house, and the inside is as described.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers considering several bills that could fundamentally change the nature of the landlord-tenant relationship heard from a number of tenants on Tuesday who described losing their homes, unfair rent increases and poor living conditions.
—Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 25 Feb. 2026
An employee was shot and fled to a nearby home before being taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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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