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
Perhaps the best way to describe Barmore’s lack of traditional rush is soft pressure.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Nov. 2025
Club members described the incident as traumatic, saying that about 40 people were at the event.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
The decision, which critics have described as unnecessary and cruel, could affect more than 200,000 people already in the country, including green card holders.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 27 Nov. 2025
The connected network of poles allowed the blaze to move between buildings, an event described as rare in Hong Kong’s dense housing estates.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Nov. 2025
Club members described the incident as traumatic, saying that about 40 people were at the event.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
The decision, which critics have described as unnecessary and cruel, could affect more than 200,000 people already in the country, including green card holders.
—Phil Helsel, NBC news, 27 Nov. 2025
The connected network of poles allowed the blaze to move between buildings, an event described as rare in Hong Kong’s dense housing estates.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 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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