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
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
President Trump describes his administration's sweeping new tariffs on other countries as a tool for accomplishing a range of key economic goals, including reviving U.S. manufacturing.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 1 May 2025
Holden’s family described the ordeal on a website dedicated to securing his release.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
Kam Zinsser, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Senter Realtors, describes luxury flooring options as costly and unnecessary.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025
Throughout grade school, college, and law school, I was taught that the Constitution lays out the structure and powers of each branch of government, and importantly, the limits of those powers—and the Bill of Rights describes our rights against the government.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Alain Sherter, CBS News, 1 May 2025
Holden’s family described the ordeal on a website dedicated to securing his release.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
Kam Zinsser, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Senter Realtors, describes luxury flooring options as costly and unnecessary.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025
Throughout grade school, college, and law school, I was taught that the Constitution lays out the structure and powers of each branch of government, and importantly, the limits of those powers—and the Bill of Rights describes our rights against the government.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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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