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:
Colleagues describe a talent for making people feel valued that succeeds even when they see it coming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Earlier in July, local journalists were asked to "soften" their language to describe a major breach in the wall of the Liulan Dam near Naning as an "opening" or "gap".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Both series meet a cultural moment many middle-aged women would call miraculous, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic corporations would describe as profitable.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
This allowed them to describe more accurately how silver atoms interact with light and surrounding particles.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
“I don’t know how to describe it. Like… like I’m in the middle of a river but it’s going in four different directions.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The researchers could also change the direction of that current by rotating the polarization of the two optical fields, which describes the direction in which the light waves oscillate.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 33-year-old cartoonist Smiling Stone Hwang now lives what she describes as a resilient life, after she was saved by first responders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
It describes someone who wants closeness, but worries that people in their life will eventually reject or abandon them.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Nearby, a handmade chandelier by artist Helen Stickler, decorated with vintage Swarovski crystals and beads, adds to what Weger describes as her “Candyland vibe.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Galileo’s law of fall describes in mathematical terms what happens when bodies fall under ideal conditions; but it does not explain anything.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described those carrying out settler attacks as a handful of misguided young people: "150 juvenile delinquents", he's called them, or "70 teenagers from broken homes".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
One early investor in his company described him as “a consummate networker.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Both meetings took place in the Oval Office without the presence of reporters, and while few details were disclosed about the discussion, the White House described the sessions as “positive and productive.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Boeing described certification efforts for new 737 MAX and 777 planes as on track with US air regulators.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Akira and Sue described their dads, but the woman hadn’t seen them.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
In his memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” published this year, Newsom acknowledges the liaison with Rippey, describing it as “the briefest of affairs.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
A paper describing the results, led by Stein, was published on July 27 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Ms. Aviv opens her book by describing her own mother’s longing to become a writer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Shopkeepers told BBC London at the time how they had locked their doors, with one describing it as "really scary".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 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.
