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
Though it’s described as a lip oil, the tube shape and medium-coverage shades beg to differ.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 25 Jan. 2025
Immigration and legal experts said that the scope of what states might be allowed to do is unclear, describing the legal authority cited in the DHS memo as uncharted waters because it has never been invoked before.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2025
The suit also detailed other racially motivated incidents including an October 2020 video class meeting overtaken by white students who used racial slurs to describe their Black classmates.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025
The way Gottlieb describes it, quite luxury in fashion involves using simple colors in high-end fabrics.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for describe 
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Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 25 Jan. 2025
Immigration and legal experts said that the scope of what states might be allowed to do is unclear, describing the legal authority cited in the DHS memo as uncharted waters because it has never been invoked before.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2025
The suit also detailed other racially motivated incidents including an October 2020 video class meeting overtaken by white students who used racial slurs to describe their Black classmates.
—Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025
The way Gottlieb describes it, quite luxury in fashion involves using simple colors in high-end fabrics.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 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 30 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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