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
Wenatchee Police Department Decker, whom his ex-wife described to authorities as homeless and experiencing mental health issues, had a planned visitation with their daughters a few days before their bodies were found.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
Robinson's family has also been described by those who know them as conservative and pro-Trump.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
People are describing empty markets, or markets where items are just cost-prohibitive and far too expensive.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 18 Sep. 2025
The Body After detectives discovered Rivas’ body, a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner described her as a female with wavy black hair wearing a tube top and black leggings, size small, as well as yellow metal-stud earrings and a yellow metal-chain bracelet.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for describe
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Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025
Robinson's family has also been described by those who know them as conservative and pro-Trump.
—Amanda Castro
shane Croucher
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
People are describing empty markets, or markets where items are just cost-prohibitive and far too expensive.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 18 Sep. 2025
The Body After detectives discovered Rivas’ body, a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner described her as a female with wavy black hair wearing a tube top and black leggings, size small, as well as yellow metal-stud earrings and a yellow metal-chain bracelet.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
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 Sep. 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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