describe

verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to represent or give an account of in words
describe a picture
The police asked her to describe the thief.
The article describes how the experiment was done.
There were so many things he wanted to describe …—James 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
di-ˈskrī-bə-bəl How to pronounce describe (audio)
adjective
describer noun

Synonyms of describe

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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
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.
Businesses that use other people’s money without best-in-class governance and oversight can end badly—and that describes many nonprofits. — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 The girl was described as an innocent bystander who was not involved in the confrontation that led to the shooting. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026 But the closest Fleming ever came to describing Bond outside the books was while working with cartoonist John McLusky in the late 1950s on a comic strip for the Daily Express. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 His feelings for these boys are described with a soul-baring softness, especially striking for its divergence from Ellis’s usual ruthless unsentimentality. — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for describe

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

Phrases Containing describe

Rhymes for describe

See All Rhymes for describe

Browse Nearby Words

describable
describe
describer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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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
-ˈskrī-bə-bəl How to pronounce describe (audio)
adjective
describer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on describe

Nglish: Translation of describe for Spanish Speakers

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