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
To hear team officials describe it, the Astros have exhausted every avenue to make Imai feel comfortable and aid his transition to the major leagues, which Enomoto already acknowledged has been a struggle.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 May 2026
In his testimony, Collins described LCI as an effort to field affordable, high-volume interceptors.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026
Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana.
—Jade Le Deley, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The purpose of this fund is to identify and financially support independent creators who have important stories to tell that positively impact and image the communities described above, and to further promote the role of intersectionality in the creation of meaningful stories.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 May 2026
In his testimony, Collins described LCI as an effort to field affordable, high-volume interceptors.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026
Ross described strict rules and constant shouting from guards and condescending treatment at the detention facility in Louisiana.
—Jade Le Deley, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The purpose of this fund is to identify and financially support independent creators who have important stories to tell that positively impact and image the communities described above, and to further promote the role of intersectionality in the creation of meaningful stories.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 May 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 15 May. 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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