describe
Americanverb (used with object)
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describes,
present (3rd person singular)
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described,
past participle, past
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describing
present participle
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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:
About a decade ago he said he was pushed to describe his core motivation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
Spain’s government nominated Hernandez de Cos, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, whom former colleagues describe as a technical whiz with a strong grasp of central banking and monetary policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Scientists commonly describe the two possible spin orientations as "up" and "down."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
“That does not describe how I practice polyamory at all,” Katz said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
And that’s about the best way you could describe him, too.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Isaac - who his twin brother Jacob Valdez describes as an intelligent man who loved volunteering and helping the elderly - died on 26 August 2026 when doctors turned off his life support.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Kōichi even describes Ghidorah in war terms as “a bomber with guns everywhere and no blind spots” — and that’s before the flying creature sprouts two more heads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
It describes it as a purely economic decision that maintains the long-term option on the assets as load increases over time in Alberta with the arrival of data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
The result is what the team describes as "Super HGF," a potentially enhanced form of the body's existing muscle repair signal.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Soojin describes the heaps of red, white, and blue decorations her mother has been collecting since Independence Day.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Explosions were reported on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening after what a U.S. official described as small-scale strikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
His defence lawyer Ricardo Preda described the allegations as a "reckless accusation" that was "irresponsible and opportunistic".
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Police officials in the Netherlands described the small boat rescue as rare.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The mRNA-based flu vaccine, which received approval in August, is on the market in the U.S. for the first time, though the company described the launch of mFLUSIVA as “limited” this year.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
She was described by a Spiritualist historian as, “The best test, rapping and physical medium I ever met, as well as one of the kindest and most noble-hearted of women.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
These explorers were describing the island—and meeting members of the same family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Buelna and another candidate accused Winston of misleading the public by describing himself as an architect and an educator during the campaign when his full-time job is deputy mayor of infrastructure and climate resilience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The supermarket worker from Wednesbury had been sent an "exact picture" of him sitting in a back garden and instantly believed he had been found, describing the day as an "emotional rollercoaster".
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Puente said an AI agent would be created to oversee the system and "minimise the possibility of human error", describing the proposal as unprecedented.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
The handsome Dr. Kane knew how to entertain while describing the mysteries of the frigid northlands.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
