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
What To Know State officials describe the portal as a mechanism for documenting incidents in which federal officers may be overstepping their authority, including allegations of excessive force, unlawful detentions, improper searches or actions that appear to violate constitutional protections.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Carl, as Vicki describes, used to be incredibly active with interests including distance running, beekeeping and gold mining.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
Detailed this week in the journal ACS Sensors, the team describes a small device made from an array of microneedles that inserts into a dead fish (or fillets) and continuously measures hypoxanthine (HX), a key compound closely associated with spoilage.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Estis described a few protesters with signs outside the campus building where the meeting was held, adding more showed up as the group of Turning Point students, numbering about 30, walked to the school's chapel to pray and debrief after the decision.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Carl, as Vicki describes, used to be incredibly active with interests including distance running, beekeeping and gold mining.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
Detailed this week in the journal ACS Sensors, the team describes a small device made from an array of microneedles that inserts into a dead fish (or fillets) and continuously measures hypoxanthine (HX), a key compound closely associated with spoilage.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
Estis described a few protesters with signs outside the campus building where the meeting was held, adding more showed up as the group of Turning Point students, numbering about 30, walked to the school's chapel to pray and debrief after the decision.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 4 Dec. 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 6 Dec. 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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