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

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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?

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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 Each sister also consented to donate her brain after death, a commitment the School Sisters of Notre Dame describe on their website as central to the project. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026 The waffle cone held a portion size that can only be described as generous. — Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026 Indeed, the escalation ladder describes some things that are already happening. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026 He is described as Black, in his 50s, about 6 feet tall with a medium build. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 16 July 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
  • Content created with generative AI, or gen AI, tools can include fake nude images and videos; deepfakes; and content from nudification tools and apps, which allow a user to generate a fake image that depicts people as undressed.
    — Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • The image depicts a fairly slender-looking screen-free wearable, but one that looks distinctly wider than the Fitbit Air.
    — Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, told the AP his clients were innocent of the charges.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026
  • Residents from Minnesota to Washington, DC, told CNN the noxious air has disrupted their lives, seeping into everything from their health and leisure to their businesses and family life.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Nine-atom-wide armchair GNRs (9-AGNRs) were synthesized via a bottom-up on-surface approach, integrated into field-effect transistors (FETs), and characterized before and after exposure using Raman spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
  • Taco Bell characterized its decision as a precautionary measure taken out of an abundance of caution despite the absence of a formal government advisory directing such action.
    — Gary Occhiogrosso, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of characterize
Verb
  • For the cover of the July 27, 2026, issue, the artist Marcellus Hall portrayed the effect that global warming has on subway riders.
    — Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • The Modi government has portrayed the demonstrators as villains.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • Eight are women who had taken maternity or pregnancy-related leave, four are men who had taken parental leave and one is a woman who had taken leave to care for a family member and later bereavement leave.
    — Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • On Monday, Bonta’s office filed a motion to relate the case to a lawsuit filed in April by Paramount+ subscribers who alleged that the merger would harm competition and drive up prices.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of relate
Verb
  • The article posits these are the first public votes in a critical referendum, urging everyone to consciously define AI's boundaries in their work and personal lives.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Rather than building every lavish living room and sweeping residence on a soundstage, productions often turn to real-life properties that help define their characters and set the tone.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 July 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Governing Oceans Through Data Indonesia’s experience illustrates a broader global transformation in maritime governance.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
  • By redoing it, albeit with more high-tech equipment than was available in 1919, Harksen hopes to illustrate that even monumental experiments can be re-created by the average person.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • Marilyn recounted how Patty once yearned for a trampoline and brought it up every night before Christmas.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Even Flynn, a high school history teacher whose curriculum recounts the cyclical nature of wars and revolutions, needed to believe in that possibility of a reprieve, despite reiterating death’s inevitability in the classroom.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 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 21 Jul. 2026.

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