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
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
Narrative news stories, conversely, foreground stylistic elements such as character, plot, descriptive detail, and point of view to create an immersive experience designed to elicit emotional responses from audiences.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
Narrative news stories, conversely, foreground stylistic elements such as character, plot, descriptive detail, and point of view to create an immersive experience designed to elicit emotional responses from audiences.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for descriptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descriptive
Adjective
-
Billy Bob Thornton rocks a graphic tee at the Landman season 2 FYC event in Los Angeles on April 16.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
For a recent sighting in New York, the actress teamed a bold red cardigan and bright yellow graphic T-shirt together, grounded by straight-leg blue jeans and her trusted Adidas Tokyo sneakers.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Keep expectations realistic so no one drops the ball later.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the eight teams in realistic danger of relegation are spread out across the board.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The day before her 90th birthday in April 2016, the Queen marked 500 years of the Royal Mail delivery service with this vivid pink look.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Plant marigolds and asters in the same sunny spot, and these two cheery and vivid summer blooms will thrive in the full sun, hot conditions.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But it’s also refined, in its way, drenched in baby blue and perfectly expressive of the current trend for sculptural ‘art’ furniture.—
Francesca Perry,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
As Carolyn, Emma Ramos is particularly expressive, drawing quietly on deep reserves of pain and longing.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 1,956-square-foot home boasts an open floor plan and seamless indoor/outdoor living, and the living room opens up to an outdoor balcony with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Cape Cod is composed of 15 different towns and many more picturesque coastal villages.—
Kara Williams,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Silver is in a number of items ranging from circuit boards and other electronics, photographic and X-Ray films and jewelry.—
John Raby,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was the new music form of jazz and new technologies that included the production of photographic film, the phonograph, and moving images.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That workflow provides doctors with more accurate answers that summarize and link to important papers and guidelines.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Mendoza is accurate with the football and can make every throw on the field.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Gemini May 21 – June 20 Get specific about what’s actually worth your money and energy today.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
May 21 – June 20 Get specific about what’s actually worth your money and energy today.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descriptive. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
