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
First Lady Melania Trump in December described her son as a key voice in the Trump campaign’s decision to appeal to voters through non-traditional media forms, such as podcasts.
—Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2025
Stephen Curry, for one night, returned to old Oracle Arena, where the soul lives on
What one sentence describes your reaction to the Dončić-Lakers trade?
—Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Omoto took the stand last week to describe the day the threat was received and the police presence that was brought to the campus as a result.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
One colleague described it as the off-road Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which is a better comparison than any of the more obvious candidates.
—Charlie Roxburghe, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 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.
Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2025
Stephen Curry, for one night, returned to old Oracle Arena, where the soul lives on
What one sentence describes your reaction to the Dončić-Lakers trade?
—Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Omoto took the stand last week to describe the day the threat was received and the police presence that was brought to the campus as a result.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
One colleague described it as the off-road Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which is a better comparison than any of the more obvious candidates.
—Charlie Roxburghe, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for describe
Articles Related to describe
Dictionary Entries Near describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 21 Feb. 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