describe

[ dih-skrahyb ]

verb (used with object)

, de·scribed, de·scrib·ing.

1. to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of:

   He described the accident very carefully.

   Synonyms: relate, tell, recount, represent, characterize, portray

2. to pronounce, as by a designating term, phrase, or the like; label:

   There are few people who may be described as geniuses.

3. to indicate; be a sign of; denote:

   Conceit, in many cases, describes a state of serious emotional insecurity.

4. to represent or delineate by a picture or figure.
5. Geometry. to draw or trace the outline of:

   to describe an arc.

describe

/ dɪˈskraɪb /

verb

1. to give an account or representation of in words
2. to pronounce or label

   he has been described as a genius

3. to draw a line or figure, such as a circle

Derived Forms

• deˈscriber, noun
• deˈscribable, adjective

Other Words From

• de·scriba·ble adjective
• de·scriba·bili·ty noun
• de·scriba·bly adverb
• de·scriber noun
• nonde·scriba·ble adjective
• over·de·scribe verb (used with object) overdescribed overdescribing
• prede·scribe verb (used with object) predescribed predescribing
• rede·scribe verb (used with object) redescribed redescribing
• self-de·scribed adjective
• unde·scriba·ble adjective
• unde·scriba·ble·ness noun
• unde·scriba·bly adverb
• unde·scribed adjective
• well-de·scribed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of describe¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English describen, from Latin dēscrībere, equivalent to dē- de- + scrībere “to write”

Word History and Origins

Origin of describe¹

C15: from Latin dēscrībere to copy off, write out, delineate, from de- + scrībere to write

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

"Within a few sips I was starting to feel a bit groggy, but I can't describe it as drunk. It was a really dizzy and weird feeling. I wasn’t feeling right."

From BBC

In 2019, Gabbard did also describe Assad as a "brutal dictator".

From BBC

His friends describe him as a charismatic orator, who spoke softly and possessed wells of energy for the issues he cared about most.

From Salon

Taylor had agreed to be interviewed, but he had some conditions: I could not describe the interior of his home, the books on his shelves, the pictures on his walls.

From Salon

Schur says he had one rule as he and the writers set out to adapt the documentary into a half-hour sitcom: “We’re gonna have to change a bunch of stuff, we’re gonna have to expand a bunch of stuff, we’re going to create new characters that are not in the documentary, but the documentary is the North Star. That doesn’t mean the story as much as it means the feeling, which I don’t even know if I could describe, but I know what it is when I feel it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• call
• characterize
• chronicle
• construe
• define
• depict
• detail
• express
• illustrate
• interpret
• label
• name
• outline
• portray
• recount
• report
• represent
• specify
• tell
• term