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
Smith described Lockett as a consummate professional and great human being while also expressing his appreciation for Lockett’s willingness to play his part without complaining about targets.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Southwest Cheese, a major dairy processor in operation since 2005, described the incident as a chemical overflow stemming from equipment malfunction in a single room of the facility.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Witness described the horrifying scene after officials say a man intentionally drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens more.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 1 Jan. 2025
Each time, commentators described these sporting events as necessary acts that helped bring Americans together following tragedies.
—Tracie Canada / Made By History, TIME, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for describe 
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Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Southwest Cheese, a major dairy processor in operation since 2005, described the incident as a chemical overflow stemming from equipment malfunction in a single room of the facility.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Witness described the horrifying scene after officials say a man intentionally drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens more.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 1 Jan. 2025
Each time, commentators described these sporting events as necessary acts that helped bring Americans together following tragedies.
—Tracie Canada / Made By History, TIME, 1 Jan. 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 5 Jan. 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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