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
Published in Aerospace Science and Technology, the study describes that the Accurate prediction of aerodynamic drag characteristics across a wide range of wing-body configurations is crucial in the early design stages of transonic commercial transport aircraft.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Parente, a former federal prosecutor, has often described the incident leading up to the shooting as nothing more than a minor car accident.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
One of these is the conceit, established on page one, that the epic events described in the book are already widely known.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The Republic used this scenario, roughly described by Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke in an interview, as a hypothetical benchmark for understanding the possible effects of water cuts on Arizona's cities.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Parente, a former federal prosecutor, has often described the incident leading up to the shooting as nothing more than a minor car accident.
—Omar Jimenez, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
One of these is the conceit, established on page one, that the epic events described in the book are already widely known.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The Republic used this scenario, roughly described by Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke in an interview, as a hypothetical benchmark for understanding the possible effects of water cuts on Arizona's cities.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 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 10 Nov. 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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