discussed; discussing; discusses
Synonyms of discuss

transitive verb

1
a
: to talk about
discussing the news of the day
b
: to investigate by reasoning or argument
discuss the matter with your family
c
: to present in detail for examination or consideration
as discussed in the text
2
obsolete : declare
… discuss the same in French unto him.—Shakespeare
3
obsolete : dispel
discussable adjective
discusser noun
Choose the Right Synonym for discuss

discuss, argue, debate mean to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince.

discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con.

discussed the need for a new highway

argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held.

argued that the project would be too costly

debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties

debated the merits of the amendment

; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself.

I'm debating whether I should go

Examples of discuss in a Sentence

She discussed the plan with several colleagues. They held a meeting to discuss the future of the company. We'll discuss where to meet later. Have you discussed the matter with your family? In the first chapter, the author discusses childcare issues. The article discusses the theory in depth.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha blasted former first lady Michelle Obama’s podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, after a segment discussing hypothetical scenarios of men getting pregnant. — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026 Brown discussed options with Soenen, including academic accommodations, counseling, a no-contact order and formal complaint procedures, according to court documents. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 During the summer, the San Francisco Standard, a nonprofit news site, got hold of material from a Signal chat that a group of billionaires had formed to discuss the ballot measure. — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 But discussing the importance of a top-10 win in October seemed to disgust Drinkwitz. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discuss

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French discusser, from Latin discussus, past participle of discutere to disperse, from dis- apart + quatere to shake — more at dis-, quash

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of discuss was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discuss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discuss. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: to consider carefully and openly by reasoning or argument
discuss a proposal
2
: to talk about
discuss the weather
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