discuss
Americanverb (used with object)
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to consider or examine by argument, comment, etc.; talk over or write about, especially to explore solutions; debate.
to discuss the proposed law on taxes.
- Synonyms:
- deliberate, reason
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Civil Law.
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to collect a debt from (the person primarily liable) before proceeding against the person secondarily liable.
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to execute against the movable property of (a debtor) before proceeding against the debtor's immovable property, as land.
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Rare. to consume (food or drink) enthusiastically.
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Obsolete. to make known; reveal.
verb
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to have a conversation about; consider by talking over; debate
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to treat (a subject) in speech or writing
the first three volumes discuss basic principles
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facetious to eat or drink with enthusiasm
Usage
What does discuss mean? Discuss means to have a conversation about or talk about a particular topic, especially to examine it more closely, debate it, or figure out a solution.You can discuss something with another person or multiple people, or you can discuss something by talking or writing about it for an audience. Discuss tends to be used in contexts in which the topic is at least somewhat serious. The noun form of discuss is discussion.Example: Listen, class, the purpose of breaking into small groups is to discuss your projects—not to chat about your personal life.
Other Word Forms
- discussable adjective
- discussant noun
- discusser noun
- discussible adjective
- nondiscussible adjective
- overdiscuss verb (used with object)
- prediscuss verb (used with object)
- rediscuss verb (used with object)
- undiscussable adjective
- undiscussible adjective
Etymology
Origin of discuss
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, either from Anglo-French discusser or directly from Latin discussus “struck asunder, shaken, scattered,” past participle of discutere, equivalent to dis- dis- 1 + -cutere (combining form of quatere “to shake, strike”)
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.
Cheng has deflected questions about her position, saying recently it was "premature" to discuss a final solution and what was needed now was "peaceful and stable cross-strait relations."
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Ken Craft, whose nonprofit supervises the Budget Inn, declined to discuss specific cases.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
A White House spokesperson couldn’t be immediately reached to discuss the disconnect between the shootdown and previous claims that the U.S. had complete control of the skies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
The hosts discuss the unusual case of a smaller company absorbing a larger one, and why Unilever’s stock is currently plummeting.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
The letter went on to discuss the finer points of the multiplication tables, in precise and painfully dull detail.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
