describe
Use Describe in a sentence
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.
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.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English describen < Latin dēscrībere, equivalent to dē- de- + scrībere to write
1400–50; late Middle English describen < Latin dēscrībere, equivalent to dē- de- + scrībere to write
Related forms
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), o·ver·de·scribed, o·ver·de·scrib·ing.
pre·de·scribe, verb (used with object), pre·de·scribed, pre·de·scrib·ing.
re·de·scribe, verb (used with object), re·de·scribed, re·de·scrib·ing.
self-de·scribed, adjective
un·de·scrib·a·ble, adjective
un·de·scrib·a·ble·ness, noun
un·de·scrib·a·b·ly, adverb
un·de·scribed, adjective
well-de·scribed, adjective
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.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To describe
00:10
Describe
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
describe (dɪˈskraɪb) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 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 |
| [C15: from Latin dēscrībere to copy off, write out, delineate, from | |
| de'scribable | |
| —adj | |
| de'scriber | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
describe
early 13c., descrive, from O.Fr. descrivre (13c.), from L. describere (see description). Reconstructed with Latin spelling 16c. Related: Described, describes, describing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It seems an odd choice of words to describe anything in this war-torn region.
Some patients describe dizziness not as a sensation in their head, but rather as a feeling of being off-balance when walking.
They will look at pictures of these animals and describe the similarities and differences in their appearances.
Because we're not supposed to be using those terms anymore to describe our desires.
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