describe

verb

di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
Definition of describenext
1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of describe Walling was described as 5 feet tall and 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. — Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Those numbers describe the prize if agents handle a meaningful share of discovery, comparison and purchase inside AI chats rather than on retailer websites. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026 OutKick founder Clay Travis has described receiving similar messages almost every day. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 Boulder residents, particularly the Jewish community, described being unnerved by the attack in their city northwest of Denver that’s home to the University of Colorado. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
  1. depict
  2. tell
  3. characterize
  4. portray
  5. relate
  6. define
  7. illustrate
  8. recount
Verb
  • Her stories depicted Irish estates, London courtships, and heroes who ranged from dashing to bumbling.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles might be depicted as having prioritized playing Hurts over his health.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Shapiro told Semafor that he’ll be focused on passing a few specific items if his party wins full control of the government — not a parade of progressive bills, as Democrats in some swing states have done after winning the legislature.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • In his ruling rejecting the DOJ’s lawsuit, Carter said the federal government had the right to investigate instances of criminal voting but not to tell California how to run its elections.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that spur changes in the atmosphere that can affect weather around the world.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Physical description The oyamel fir is characterized by its straight gray trunk and narrow conical crown and typically grows between 40 and 60 meters (130–200 feet) tall.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterize
Verb
  • Beckman portrayed the first lady's work on the ceasefire as an extension of her efforts to help reunite Russian and Ukrainian children with their families after they were separated by Russia's war against Ukraine.
    — BEN FINLEY, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Pundits continue to portray the Taiwan Strait as the world’s most dangerous flashpoint; the summit’s agenda suggested otherwise.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • Philbrick relates all this less as history than as a stage play.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The project also reflects the increasing importance of reliable manufacturing capacity in industries that depend on sophisticated electronic, sensing and space-related technologies.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of relate
Verb
  • The film earned its credited screenwriter career-defining Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and the Writers Guild Award for Original Screenplay.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The body was given more brawn, even to the point of beginning to resemble an America muscle car, giving the vehicle a presence that would define it for generations to come.
    — Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • All three pairs will come in custom illustrated Ronnie Fieg for Timberland packaging and will include alternate shoelace options.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • More in Out of Pocket, Out of Reach Americans’ disdain for the health insurance system was vividly illustrated nearly two years ago in the reactions to the killing of health insurance executive Brian Thompson.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • The sentence was delivered on Monday afternoon in a federal courthouse mere steps from First Liberty’s former offices, after more than an hour of impassioned victims recounting the devastation caused by Frost and First Liberty.
    — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Vance recounted how Marshall supported his efforts to enhance railroad safety requirements after a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of recount

Browse Nearby Words

descrambling
describe
described
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Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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