as in graphic
having many features or details
He told a descriptive story about his trip to Spain that captured our attention. An overly descriptive account of the movie that left little to the imagination.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar 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 descriptive
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System listing that contains further information and descriptive details can be found here.
—
Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Written by Italian playwright Stefano Massini as an epic poem and adapted for the stage by Ben Power, the play’s language is lyrical and gorgeously descriptive.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Fiona, the curator, no longer trying to hide her irritation, is insisting the paintings have a descriptive title at the very least.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
But the Daodejing is more descriptive than prescriptive – less how-to and more what is.
—Stephen Chen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Written by Italian playwright Stefano Massini as an epic poem and adapted for the stage by Ben Power, the play’s language is lyrical and gorgeously descriptive.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Fiona, the curator, no longer trying to hide her irritation, is insisting the paintings have a descriptive title at the very least.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
But the Daodejing is more descriptive than prescriptive – less how-to and more what is.
—Stephen Chen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descriptive
Adjective
-
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.—
Seth Eli Barlow,
Arkansas Online,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Anti-dictatorship, but for kids Serkis scrubs the story of its violence, at least in any graphic manner.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Keep your responses measured and your commitments realistic so nothing escalates unnecessarily.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Policymakers should also require manufacturers to disclose additives and realistic leaching data for food-contact materials, cookware, bottled water, and children’s products.—
Justin Zorn,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a room full of mirrors, that vivid red bounces back onto your skin, often highlighting imperfections rather than giving you a soft, healthy glow.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
-
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Straddling a huge portion of southern Utah, Capitol Reef owes its name to the vivid imagination of early settlers, who thought one of its giant white-rock formations resembled a capitol building dome and its jagged cliffs an underwater reef.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The end result is a small but expressive robot version of Rocky that captures much of the personality fans loved in Project Hail Mary.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
-
A lot of it was kind of reckonings with childhood, really very expressive work.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Hawaii Royal Chapel, complete with a romantic gazebo, offers a picturesque setting for weddings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
-
Along the creek, an outdoor dining patio and a picturesque willow tree with a swing are found.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
And in 1908, the university’s first female student’s photographic inquiries reveal sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
When the cityscape frustrates urban photographers with uneven terrain or limited spaces, photographic gear company Silence Corner strikes back with the Viperpod – a hybrid tripod designed to hang anywhere in seconds for unencumbered solo shooting.—
Shirl Leigh
May 06,
New Atlas,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
But part of the reason is that even with our most precise and accurate measurements that lead to a determination of the gravitational constant, those various teams and methods haven’t converged on a single answer.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
-
More accurate simulations could speed up drug discovery, improve materials design, and reduce the need for costly laboratory experiments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine for hantavirus.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
The label belongs to a specific time and place, one tied to an age when a popular newspaper column could spawn a multimedia franchise.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descriptive. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
