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
Synonyms
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
The two words could also describe the reaction of their fans.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Speer described a wine bar in a town near his, where a group of local musicians played.
—Ryan Bradley MacLeod Andrews Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Others described the trial as a politically useful opportunity for Republicans to attack Democrats on immigration, an issue over which voters overwhelmingly disapprove of President Biden’s handling.
—Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
On a recent Saturday at a Sephora store in Manhattan, shopper Tonya Powell described how her young daughters had got her into skin care.
—Jeannette Neumann, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Similarly, in 1560, German astronomer Christoph Clavius described how birds fell to the ground during another eclipse, overwhelmed by the sudden darkness.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Scientists typically describe thousands of new species each year.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Faith, family, and football completely describe the essence of the celebrated NFL superstar Russell Wilson.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
In early 2020, someone fired rounds in the air near the residence where Story and his twin brother lived in Fort Worth, according to an account described in an affidavit supporting an arrest warrant for Burrell that was written by a Fort Worth police homicide detective.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Speer described a wine bar in a town near his, where a group of local musicians played.
—Ryan Bradley MacLeod Andrews Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Others described the trial as a politically useful opportunity for Republicans to attack Democrats on immigration, an issue over which voters overwhelmingly disapprove of President Biden’s handling.
—Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
On a recent Saturday at a Sephora store in Manhattan, shopper Tonya Powell described how her young daughters had got her into skin care.
—Jeannette Neumann, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Similarly, in 1560, German astronomer Christoph Clavius described how birds fell to the ground during another eclipse, overwhelmed by the sudden darkness.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Scientists typically describe thousands of new species each year.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Faith, family, and football completely describe the essence of the celebrated NFL superstar Russell Wilson.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
In early 2020, someone fired rounds in the air near the residence where Story and his twin brother lived in Fort Worth, according to an account described in an affidavit supporting an arrest warrant for Burrell that was written by a Fort Worth police homicide detective.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'describe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing describe
Articles Related to describe
Dictionary Entries Near describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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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
describer
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on describe
Nglish: Translation of describe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of describe for Arabic Speakers
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