describe

1 of 2

verb

de·​scribe di-ˈskrīb 

described; describing

transitive verb

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

2

: 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

5

archaic : observe, perceive

describable

di-ˈskrī-bə-bəl 

adjective

describer noun

describer

2 of 2

noun

de·​scrib·​er

-bə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that describes

2

British : an instrument giving details about trains moving or scheduled to move between given points

Synonyms of describe

Verb

• depict
• portray
• characterize
• illustrate

Examples of describe in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Vaccarello unusually declined preview interviews, instead offering black calla lilies with a note describing the collection as personal and emotional. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026

The systems are now operating in live production, with Zalando, Ceva and Sereact describing the deployments as the first phase of a broader effort to automate returns across Europe. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Williams also appeared in local media interviews, including a February profile published by the Times of San Diego that described his rise from line cook to head chef at Miss B's Coconut Club. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Once again, though, Butler wouldn’t use the term to describe himself. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin describere, from de- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing describe

• can't even begin to describe

Rhymes for describe

• ascribe
• imbibe
• inscribe
• prescribe
• proscribe
• subscribe
• transcribe
• bribe
• gibe
• jibe
• tribe
• vibe

Kids 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

describable

-ˈskrī-bə-bəl 

adjective

describer noun