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
That’s how Jerome Osei described them recently at a Morton Williams supermarket in New York City.
—Davis Giangiulio, NBC News, 4 July 2024
According to 8 News Now, loved ones described Garcia as a single mother.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 4 July 2024
Yoni Mizrachi, the head of settlement tracking at Peace Now, described the land grab announced Wednesday as part of a strategy to establish a buffer zone between Jordan and Palestinian lands and choke off the practical possibility of a Palestinian state.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2024
Fauci describes himself watching powerlessly as NIAID wards filled with patients facing a death sentence.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for describe 
Davis Giangiulio, NBC News, 4 July 2024
According to 8 News Now, loved ones described Garcia as a single mother.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 4 July 2024
Yoni Mizrachi, the head of settlement tracking at Peace Now, described the land grab announced Wednesday as part of a strategy to establish a buffer zone between Jordan and Palestinian lands and choke off the practical possibility of a Palestinian state.
—Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2024
Fauci describes himself watching powerlessly as NIAID wards filled with patients facing a death sentence.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 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 7 Jul. 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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