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
The scent of its white spring flowers is sometimes described as mothball-like, which deters deer.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Mar. 2025
But in the same meeting, Shedd also described TTS as a failing start-up.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025
The men described being confined in small, windowless cells with lights kept on 24/7, making sleep difficult.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
Assistant Police Chief Cisco Rodriquez described the victim as an adult male but could provide no further information, pending notification of the family and the results of the ongoing investigation.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Mar. 2025
But in the same meeting, Shedd also described TTS as a failing start-up.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025
The men described being confined in small, windowless cells with lights kept on 24/7, making sleep difficult.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
Assistant Police Chief Cisco Rodriquez described the victim as an adult male but could provide no further information, pending notification of the family and the results of the ongoing investigation.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
Articles Related to describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 6 Mar. 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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