described; describing
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 describe …—
James Joyce
James Joyce2
: 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
describer
noun
Synonyms
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
Police describe Rantanen as a white male, around 5 feet 4 inches tall, 270 pounds, with short brown hair and green eyes.
—Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
In the wake of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, local crew members and creatives described an anemic return to production as major companies sought to slash costs and the era of Peak TV came to a screeching halt.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
The Arizona Office of Tourism described the partnership as an opportunity to make traveling safer for residents on both sides of the border.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024
Being put 'on notice' is akin to being 'rapped on the knuckles', as described by a veteran administrator.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for describe 
Hope Karnopp, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
In the wake of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, local crew members and creatives described an anemic return to production as major companies sought to slash costs and the era of Peak TV came to a screeching halt.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
The Arizona Office of Tourism described the partnership as an opportunity to make traveling safer for residents on both sides of the border.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2024
Being put 'on notice' is akin to being 'rapped on the knuckles', as described by a veteran administrator.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for describe
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.
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Dictionary Entries Near describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
describe
verb
de·scribe
di-ˈskrīb 
described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
2
: to trace the outline of
describe a circle
describer
noun
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