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
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
The former Today host described how the aftermath of her diagnosis sparked a new wave of courage.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss.
—Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
He’s missed six games with what has been described as a mid-body injury.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
In fact, if Subway Takes had an easily quantifiable characteristic, the best way to describe it would probably be unserious.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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.
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss.
—Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
He’s missed six games with what has been described as a mid-body injury.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
In fact, if Subway Takes had an easily quantifiable characteristic, the best way to describe it would probably be unserious.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share