describe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of.
He described the accident very carefully.
-
to pronounce, as by a designating term, phrase, or the like; label.
There are few people who may be described as geniuses.
-
to indicate; be a sign of; denote.
Conceit, in many cases, describes a state of serious emotional insecurity.
-
to represent or delineate by a picture or figure.
-
Geometry. to draw or trace the outline of.
to describe an arc.
verb
-
to give an account or representation of in words
-
to pronounce or label
he has been described as a genius
-
to draw a line or figure, such as a circle
Related Words
Describe, narrate agree in the idea of giving an account of something. To describe is to convey in words the appearance, nature, attributes, etc., of something. The word often implies vividness of personal observation: to describe a scene, an event. To narrate is to recount the occurrence of something, usually by giving the details of an event or events in the order of their happening. Narrate thus applies only to that which happens over time: to narrate an incident.
Other Word Forms
- describability noun
- describable adjective
- describably adverb
- describer noun
- nondescribable adjective
- overdescribe verb (used with object)
- predescribe verb (used with object)
- redescribe verb (used with object)
- self-described adjective
- undescribable adjective
- undescribableness noun
- undescribably adverb
- undescribed adjective
- well-described adjective
Etymology
Origin of describe
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English describen, from Latin dēscrībere, equivalent to dē- de- + scrībere “to write”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although the status of Rourke’s current financials is not known, he has previously admitted to running into money troubles when his career took a nosedive—resulting in what he described as the loss of “everything.”
From MarketWatch
Edgerton: I feel like I learn something about myself on every job and every time I approach a new job, I always describe it in rudimentary terms, like a toolkit.
From Los Angeles Times
The production is naturalistic, with bits of expressionist neo-noir worked in when a crime is being described.
From Los Angeles Times
He not only sympathized with our loss but also shared our heartbreak as he described his own very personal connection to the Palisades fire.
From Los Angeles Times
When Adrian Metoyer first heard government officials describing his best friend as an “active shooter” and threat to his community, he was furious.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
