described; describing
1
: to represent or give an account of in words
describe a picture
The police asked her to describe the thief.
The article describes how the experiment was done.
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
Shoppers rave that the arm openings truly stand out, describing them as notably flattering and well-designed, without any awkward gaps.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
In an interview with the website Public Parking, the writer Lucy Ives describes ad-libbing a writing exercise to kill an awkward classroom silence.
—David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
The newspapers said police cited the testimony of Isak Andic's partner, professional golfer Estefania Knuth, who described strained relations between the father and son.
—CBS News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
In an interview with the website Public Parking, the writer Lucy Ives describes ad-libbing a writing exercise to kill an awkward classroom silence.
—David O’Neill, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
The newspapers said police cited the testimony of Isak Andic's partner, professional golfer Estefania Knuth, who described strained relations between the father and son.
—CBS News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for describe
Cite this Entry
“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/describe. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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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