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
As described in a press statement, the VMAs have been a pop culture juggernaut for more than four decades, celebrating the best music videos of the year with history-making performances, iconic tributes, culture-defining moments, and the biggest surprises from the world’s biggest superstars.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The environmental effects of the bombs described in the book are particularly scary.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
At least part of their testimony involved describing victim accounts that were later shared by the victims themselves at Maxwell's public trial, according to the Justice Department.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Frank described the process as removing the contamination before using it to cool the facility, then adding it back in before it’s sent to the White River.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 5 Aug. 2025
The environmental effects of the bombs described in the book are particularly scary.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
At least part of their testimony involved describing victim accounts that were later shared by the victims themselves at Maxwell's public trial, according to the Justice Department.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Frank described the process as removing the contamination before using it to cool the facility, then adding it back in before it’s sent to the White River.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share