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
Hatton was described in court as a boxing coach and company director and the cause of his death was given as hanging.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
That all structures that are built out of atoms and their constituents — including molecules, ions, and enzymes — can be described based on the fundamental laws of nature and the component structures that they’re made out of.
—Big Think, 16 Oct. 2025
The restaurant describes itself as an upscale bistro that focuses on French food and wine, with twists coming from both Spanish and Asian cuisine.
—Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Certain scholars describe social-media posts as falling somewhere in between interpersonal and mass communication.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
That all structures that are built out of atoms and their constituents — including molecules, ions, and enzymes — can be described based on the fundamental laws of nature and the component structures that they’re made out of.
—Big Think, 16 Oct. 2025
The restaurant describes itself as an upscale bistro that focuses on French food and wine, with twists coming from both Spanish and Asian cuisine.
—Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Certain scholars describe social-media posts as falling somewhere in between interpersonal and mass communication.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 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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