describe

verb

de·​scribe di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
described; describing

transitive verb

1
: to represent or give an account of in words
describe a picture
The police asked her to describe the thief.
There were so many things he wanted to describeJames Joyce
2
: to represent by a figure, model, or picture : delineate
described in her paintings what she saw from her window
3
obsolete : distribute
4
: to trace or traverse the outline of
describe a circle
5
archaic : observe, perceive
describable adjective
describer noun

Examples of describe in a Sentence

The witness wasn't able to describe the robber. He described the house in perfect detail. The article describes how the experiment was done. She described watching dolphins play beside the ship. Please describe what happened next. Can you describe the lost dog to me? She used a stick to describe a circle on the ground.
Recent Examples on the Web Green described how men came to New York from all over the country to ask for loans during the panic of 1907. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 17 Mar. 2024 Like others interviewed for this report, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military activity. Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 How did the golf course’s lake get like this? Arrowhead Ranch residents have often described the smell of the lake as sewer-like. Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024 Seth described himself and Zac as two tall guys who wanted to fit in. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 Golfers there described the typical morning ritual — logging in at 5:56 a.m. and waiting. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Some of Schneider’s former colleagues describe him as someone who tolerated very little and expected employees to work overtime. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 That relationship is described in an FAQ on Honda’s website. New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Though its plot remains under wraps, the forthcoming release has been described as a sci-fi anthology film, and was penned by Lanthimos and his frequent collaborator Efthimis Filippou. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'describe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin describere, from de- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of describe was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near describe

Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

describe

verb
de·​scribe di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
2
: to trace the outline of
describe a circle
describable adjective
describer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on describe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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