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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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describablyadverb
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undescribableadjective
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undescribablenessnoun
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overdescribeverb (used with object)
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redescribeverb (used with object)
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nondescribableadjective
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describernoun
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undescribablyadverb
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describableadjective
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well-describedadjective
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self-describedadjective
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undescribedadjective
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predescribeverb (used with object)
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describabilitynoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has describedperfect 3rd person singular
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have describedperfect
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are describingprogressive
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describingparticiple
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has been describingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am describingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been describingperfect progressive
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is describingprogressive 3rd person singular
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describessingular 3rd person
Past
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had describedperfect
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had been describingperfect progressive
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was describingprogressive singular
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were describingprogressive plural
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describedsimple
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describedparticiple
Future
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
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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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.
Over-the-top doesn’t begin to describe Alice’s feelings of betrayal or her escalating attempts to break up the couple and punish Steve for his betrayal, which is precisely what drew Walker to the project.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The term “passive income” doesn’t begin to describe the stress and emotional labor of dealing with damage from short-term renters and cleaning/maintenance fees.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Its website used to describe it as a "leading UK real estate agency" with "eight branches" and "170 staff".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Those visitors describe a North Korea unrecognizable from the past, especially its capital, Pyongyang, where Kim and the country’s elite live.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Survivors describe the sound of a tsunami as everything from a deafening rumble to a rasping hiss.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
