Nearby Words
verb (used with object), -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.
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
EXPANDo·ver·de·scribe, verb (used with object), -scribed, -scrib·ing.
pre·de·scribe, verb (used with object), -scribed, -scrib·ing.
re·de·scribe, verb (used with object), -scribed, -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
COLLAPSESynonyms
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. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Describe
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is kibitz. Does it mean:
| chat, to converse |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
Example Sentences
- Three words someone else would use to describe me are adventurous, open-minded and persistent.
- We'll be able to describe what they look like and what they do.
- But remembering faces is not the same as being able to describe them.
Collins
World English Dictionary
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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