describe

verb

de·​scribe di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
described; describing

transitive verb

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 describeJames Joyce
2
: 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
5
archaic : observe, perceive
describable adjective
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
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.
Lynda Poe, the Operation Christmas Child drop-off team leader, described one Lake Lure church member’s harrowing survival story. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024 The Nope star stopped by The Tonight Show on Tuesday night (Nov. 19) to describe the scary moment to host Jimmy Fallon, complete with a pretty dead-on Nicki impersonation. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024 The Honeywell space heater also has dozens of glowing ratings from shoppers who describe it as quiet and warm. Casey Clark, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024 All told, the mass deportations Trump has described could cost $150 billion to $350 billion, immigration experts said. Russell Contreras, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for describe 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin describere, from de- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of describe was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near describe

Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

describe

verb
de·​scribe di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
2
: to trace the outline of
describe a circle
describable adjective
describer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on describe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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