describe

verb

di-ˈskrīb How to pronounce describe (audio)
Definition of describenext
1
as in to depict
to give a representation or account of in words he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to tell
to give an oral or written account of in some detail a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to characterize
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of describe Before an international conference in Kigali in 2021, some of the city’s poorest residents were detained in a warehouse described as a transit center until foreign visitors had left, according to HRW. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Britain rebuilds defense industry British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the opening as a return to domestic weapons production after a 20-year gap. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 The notes described which services were free and what information someone could find through them. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The companies described it as the first pay-per-view offering of its kind on JioHotstar. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for describe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for describe
  1. depict
  2. tell
  3. characterize
  4. portray
  5. relate
  6. define
  7. illustrate
  8. recount
Verb
  • Her stories depicted Irish estates, London courtships, and heroes who ranged from dashing to bumbling.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles might be depicted as having prioritized playing Hurts over his health.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Beirut City Pop, the latest compilation by archival label Habibi Funk, tells the story of the artists who dared to imagine a life beyond war.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warmer waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that spur changes in the atmosphere that can affect weather around the world.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Physical description The oyamel fir is characterized by its straight gray trunk and narrow conical crown and typically grows between 40 and 60 meters (130–200 feet) tall.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of characterize
Verb
  • Beckman portrayed the first lady's work on the ceasefire as an extension of her efforts to help reunite Russian and Ukrainian children with their families after they were separated by Russia's war against Ukraine.
    — BEN FINLEY, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Pundits continue to portray the Taiwan Strait as the world’s most dangerous flashpoint; the summit’s agenda suggested otherwise.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of portray
Verb
  • Philbrick relates all this less as history than as a stage play.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The project also reflects the increasing importance of reliable manufacturing capacity in industries that depend on sophisticated electronic, sensing and space-related technologies.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of relate
Verb
  • The strategy defines six goals that are intended to address each of the challenges alongside corresponding objectives to guide NASA’s achievements of the goals.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Mega-cap companies are generally defined as those with market capitalizations exceeding $200 billion.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Criminal conduct before citizenship The case illustrates how criminal conduct committed before naturalization can have consequences years after an immigrant becomes an American citizen.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The sellers made a mistake — and a trip to the poker table helps illustrate their folly.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of illustrate
Verb
  • The sentence was delivered on Monday afternoon in a federal courthouse mere steps from First Liberty’s former offices, after more than an hour of impassioned victims recounting the devastation caused by Frost and First Liberty.
    — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Vance recounted how Marshall supported his efforts to enhance railroad safety requirements after a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of recount

Browse Nearby Words

descrambling
describe
described
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Cite this Entry

“Describe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/describe. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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