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
During a tour at Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters last October, staff described the evolution from a Chicago garage startup to a sprawling campus funded by donors in 2018.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Marshburn described how he was trained for only one hour to perform ultrasound scans before a mission.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
For instance, the young woman interred in burial 211 described above is one of several women and children buried with stone axes at the site, upending the notion that axes only belonged to Stone Age men.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The audio, which was reviewed by PEOPLE, described a person in all-black — carrying a black long gun, wearing a black tactical helmet and mask, and possibly a tactical vest and jeans.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Marshburn described how he was trained for only one hour to perform ultrasound scans before a mission.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
For instance, the young woman interred in burial 211 described above is one of several women and children buried with stone axes at the site, upending the notion that axes only belonged to Stone Age men.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The audio, which was reviewed by PEOPLE, described a person in all-black — carrying a black long gun, wearing a black tactical helmet and mask, and possibly a tactical vest and jeans.
—Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 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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