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
The retailer will also keep a pun going across several products, the pair described.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Getty Images Rarely would a head coach whose team conceded seven goals in a home game just over one week earlier be described as being in a good position.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
As Sarah describes it, and Metcalf plays it, television becomes life.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Rensch describes the group as a spiritual haven for those looking for direction.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Getty Images Rarely would a head coach whose team conceded seven goals in a home game just over one week earlier be described as being in a good position.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
As Sarah describes it, and Metcalf plays it, television becomes life.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Rensch describes the group as a spiritual haven for those looking for direction.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 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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