describe

UK: /dɪˈskraɪb/ US: /dɪˈskraɪb/ ,(di skrīb′)

Inflections of 'describe' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

describes

v 3rd person singular

describing

v pres p

described

v past

described

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•scribe /dɪˈskraɪb/   v., -scribed, -scrib•ing. 

1. to tell in words what something is like: [ ~ + obj]:
   to describe an accident in detail.
   [ ~ + clause]:
   Can you describe what he did next?
2. to pronounce or represent;
   characterize by adding a word or phrase: [ ~ + obj + as + noun]:
   I would describe him as a tyrant.
   [ ~ + obj + as + adjective]:
   I'd describe the house as run–down.
3. Mathematics [ ~ + obj] to draw or trace the outline of:
   to describe an arc with a pencil.

See -scrib-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

de•scribe  (di skrīb′), v.t., -scribed, -scrib•ing. 

1. to tell or depict in written or spoken words;
   give an account of:
   He described the accident very carefully.
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. Mathematics [Geom.] to draw or trace the outline of:
   to describe an arc.

• Latin dēscrībere, equivalent. to dē- de- + scrībere to write
• late Middle English describen 1400–50

de•scrib′a•ble, adj. 
de•scrib′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
de•scrib′a•bly, adv. 
de•scrib′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. portray, characterize, represent; recount, tell, relate.
  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 in time:
  to narrate an incident.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

describe / dɪˈskraɪb/ verb (transitive)

1. to give an account or representation of in words
2. to pronounce or label
3. to draw a line or figure, such as a circle

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin dēscrībere to copy off, write out, delineate, from de- + scrībere to write

deˈscribable adjective

deˈscriber noun