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
Beckham first rose to global fame in the 1990s as part of the cultural phenomenon that was the Spice Girls, still described as one of the best‑selling girl groups of all time and among the best‑selling pop groups ever.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
However, the detective who interviewed the widow after Bill's death described her reaction differently.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Witnesses Thabet al-Azab and Khaled al-Sebeihy described the incident north of Aden as targeting Hamdy Shoukry, a senior figure in the Giants Brigades, who survived.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, often described as Europe’s last dictator and a key ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has signed up.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
However, the detective who interviewed the widow after Bill's death described her reaction differently.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Witnesses Thabet al-Azab and Khaled al-Sebeihy described the incident north of Aden as targeting Hamdy Shoukry, a senior figure in the Giants Brigades, who survived.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, often described as Europe’s last dictator and a key ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has signed up.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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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