describe
Americanverb (used with object)
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to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of.
He described the accident very carefully.
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to pronounce, as by a designating term, phrase, or the like; label.
There are few people who may be described as geniuses.
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to indicate; be a sign of; denote.
Conceit, in many cases, describes a state of serious emotional insecurity.
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to represent or delineate by a picture or figure.
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Geometry. to draw or trace the outline of.
to describe an arc.
verb
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to give an account or representation of in words
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to pronounce or label
he has been described as a genius
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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”
Explanation
To describe is to report details about something either out loud or in writing. "Since we can't come to Paris with you, please describe it in your letter!" Describe is from the Latin word describere which means "to write down." When you describe something, you're "da" scribe, the person writing things down! Writing teachers love to have students describe, using lots of details using the five senses and figurative language. It doesn't have to be written down, though — you can also describe that gold dress you saw to your friend on the phone. Or you can describe a circle, by sketching it out with a stick in the sand.
Vocabulary lists containing describe
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
However, the review said it would be "wrong to describe the event as evidence of institutional racism, as this misses an important point".
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Options traders use Greek letters to describe some features of options.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Standard particle-based models of dark matter typically describe two main possibilities for how annihilation occurs.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026
After that deflating breakup, she had decided to describe herself honestly on a dating app as “wordy, nerdy and kind of sturdy,” and not a lot of people responded, but one did, she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Nora always knew how to describe things, Jackson had noticed.
From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis
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.
