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
Four in 10 Hispanic Americans identify as Catholic, at least twice the rate for any other ethnic or racial group, and 18% describe themselves as former Catholics.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Civilian respondents described group vaccinations administered at schools or workplaces – months after the rest of the world had rolled out full vaccination programs.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
The police chief described the damage to the other structures in the area as minor to moderate.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 18 June 2025
Instead, his owner describes him more like a curious toddler, constantly exploring, digging, and investigating his surroundings.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 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.
Send us feedback.
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Civilian respondents described group vaccinations administered at schools or workplaces – months after the rest of the world had rolled out full vaccination programs.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
The police chief described the damage to the other structures in the area as minor to moderate.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 18 June 2025
Instead, his owner describes him more like a curious toddler, constantly exploring, digging, and investigating his surroundings.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 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 23 Jun. 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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