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
Some of your co-stars have described treacherous filming conditions in Thailand.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
Carr has multiple probes in progress, and his investigation into CBS over the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris has drawn condemnations from both liberal and conservative advocacy groups that describe it as a threat to the Constitutional right to free speech.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Faith leaders have signed onto a letter urging state lawmakers to reject the legislation, describing it as un-Christian and harmful to the state's most vulnerable residents.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Lead by example by using emotional language to describe yourself.
—Jane Sparrow, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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show current usage.
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Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
Carr has multiple probes in progress, and his investigation into CBS over the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris has drawn condemnations from both liberal and conservative advocacy groups that describe it as a threat to the Constitutional right to free speech.
—ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
Faith leaders have signed onto a letter urging state lawmakers to reject the legislation, describing it as un-Christian and harmful to the state's most vulnerable residents.
—John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Lead by example by using emotional language to describe yourself.
—Jane Sparrow, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 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 12 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
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