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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describabilitynoun
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describernoun
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undescribablenessnoun
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overdescribeverb (used with object)
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predescribeverb (used with object)
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redescribeverb (used with object)
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describableadjective
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nondescribableadjective
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self-describedadjective
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undescribableadjective
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undescribedadjective
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well-describedadjective
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describablyadverb
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undescribablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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describesimple
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describessimple
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have describedperfect
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has describedperfect
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am describingprogressive
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are describingprogressive
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is describingprogressive
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have been describingperfect progressive
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has been describingperfect progressive
Past
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describedsimple
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had describedperfect
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was describingprogressive
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were describingprogressive
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had been describingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Astronomers led by the University of Warwick have uncovered what they describe as a kind of cosmic digestive system around a black hole.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
John's wife, Geraldine Mullan, who survived the tragedy, said it was impossible to describe her pain and depth of loss in what was "a preventable road traffic accident".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The lack of concrete information, as well as the fact that Bourdain himself used writerly flare to describe his young antics, gave the filmmakers room to invent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The book’s epigraph says a great deal: “Any attempt to name and describe our lives will always seem unstable because all language is a form of triage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Max wasn’t even sure he quite knew the right words to describe her clothes.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Agbaje describes the adiposity rebound theory as a BMI-driven "false discovery."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
But Adeyemi describes suffering somatic pain and panic attacks, alleging she is still being antagonized behind the scenes.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Bardem describes him as a “dying beast” who has lost control of the narrative that he so meticulously orchestrated to rebuild his image.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Katrina says guardianship gives her the chance to live in an unusual property and describes the mansion as an "incredible" and "romantic" place despite it being "quite run down".
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Talking rapidly, Carl Phillips describes what he sees at the farm where the flaming object landed.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
A Substack post in April described FLAG, represented by Rodenburg and Adamopoulos, delivering founding documents to schools in Mississippi.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Police have also asked social media platforms, including Meta and X, to take down what they described as abusive and manipulated content targeting the premier.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
Officers established a perimeter and began searching for the suspect, who was described as a man in a reflective vest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
The pattern has long been described as the "adiposity rebound," based on the idea that body fat first decreases and then returns.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Eisenhower described the procedure a president would use to launch an attack.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Alex Vatanka, another senior fellow from the Middle East Institute, summed up the situation, describing it as a "lose-lose equation" in which "neither side is benefiting."
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
“Archer is like a mini-expressway,” said Alderwoman Julia Ramirez, describing cars and trucks darting in and out on the diagonal road before the changes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Magic is a five-letter word that does so much heavy lifting when it comes to describing the essence of what makes something special.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Davies said he was told his husband had just 18 months to live but Smith went on to live for eight years, describing it as "amazing".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Against the law, Hoover began passing classified files to his contacts on HUAC, with documents describing Bentley's alleged spy ring.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
