Synonyms of describes

describes

verb

present tense third-person singular of describe

1

as in depicts

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

• depicts
• portrays
• characterizes
• illustrates
• renders
• paints
• recounts
• defines
• summarizes
• delineates
• outlines
• represents
• sets out
• relates
• tells
• draws
• demonstrates
• shows
• suggests
• narrates
• limns
• pictures
• sketches
• images
• displays
• recites
• reports
• qualifies
• exhibits
• traces
• hints
• labels
• sums up
• rehearses
• redescribes
• vignettes
• touches off
• drafts
• silhouettes
• reimages

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misrepresents
• distorts
• falsifies
• misstates
• colors
• warps
• twists
• perverts
• misdescribes
• garbles

2

as in tells

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

• tells
• recounts
• relates
• narrates
• chronicles
• reports
• depicts
• recites
• details
• sets forth
• charts
• reveals
• states
• discloses
• rehearses
• expresses
• voices
• enumerates
• utters
• gives
• exposes
• delivers
• delineates
• itemizes
• divulges
• particularizes
• renders
• reels off
• sketches
• bares
• lets on (about)

3

as in characterizes

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

• characterizes
• portrays
• defines
• depicts
• represents
• identifies
• characters
• classifies
• indicates
• types
• categorizes
• specifies
• distinguishes
• pigeonholes
• marks
• individualizes
• colors
• particularizes
• stamps
• names

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of describes

Whatever Washington decides, the letter describes a stack most companies are not architected for. — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Sandy Dorsainvil, 49 Homeowner in unincorporated Dade Dorsainvil was at the TPS rally in Little Haiti soaking in the concerns for Haitian immigrants and describes herself as a community redevelopment specialist and cultural curator. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

By the time the season ended, Diomande had recorded 12 goals and eight assists, but that raw data hardly describes the essence of the player. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 25 July 2026

As Jacobsen describes it, Al Qaeda buys smallpox from Russia and releases it in three American cities. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

The multigenerational shift Lautz describes isn’t a story about idle young adults. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 July 2026

Transforming rural healthcare Perhaps the most powerful moment in the conversation comes when Johannes describes the impact reliable electricity can have on healthcare outcomes. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Menelaus describes how the men, stacked on top of each other amid stiflingly hot conditions, also had to urinate and defecate on one another. — David MacK, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Coverage from the Sacramento Bee describes the practice as a normalized coping hobby for perimenopausal women who piece together regimens around their most disruptive symptoms, often documenting and refining them through peer-to-peer advice. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026