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

The Sound Of Fiscal Dominance Fiscal dominance describes the situation in which the government’s financing needs, rather than the inflation outlook, start to steer monetary conditions. — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

The agreement Hansen describes would be a much larger legal matter than a standard screening NDA, and would not be asked of other individuals screening the film — including press and third-party marketing agencies. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

What the state won't or can't tell us California's Office of Youth and Community Restoration, or OYCR, oversees the LRP educational pathway programs that its director describes as a prison-to-university pipeline. — Julie Watts august 20, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Although Beijing describes such trade as ordinary commerce, conducting it through provincial and private firms helps ensure that any potential sanctions fall on intermediaries rather than the party-state itself. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026

Stokes describes undergoing blood tests every other week and TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, therapy. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Another tale describes maintenance workers at the Old Zoo dumping spoiled soda syrup off the cliff, which lured swarms of bees. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

In the text, an officer describes meeting with Gutierrez at the McAllen police station. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 20 Aug. 2026

The boy lives in Orange County, and the affidavit describes specific encounters between Caruso and the child on a fishing trip, on a cruise out of Miami and during a holiday gathering. — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026