verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/dɪˈskɹaɪb/
/dəˈskɹaɪb/
Received-Pronunciation:[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b]
US:[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b]
US:[dɪˈskɹɑɪ̯b]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:[dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b]
Canada:[dɪˈskɹəjb]
Australian:[dɪˈskɹɑɪ̯b]
British, Southern, Standard:[dɪˈskɹɑjb]
rhymes with -aɪb
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S K R AY1 B
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To represent in words.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.
The geographer describes countries and cities.
Several witnesses describe seeing lights in the sky that night.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To give rise to a geometrical structure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Examples
The function describes a very complex surface.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, taxonomy
Examples
The fungus was first described by a botanist.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
identify as in botany or biology, for example
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, name
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
to give an account or representation of in words
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental
From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (“to copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing”), from dē (“off”) + scrībō (“write”); see scribe and shrive. Displaced native Old English āmearcian.
Across languages
Translations
127 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
beskryf
— to represent in words
Albanian:
përshkruaj
— to represent in words
Arabic:
وَصَفَ
(waṣafa)
— to represent in words
Arabic:
وصف
(waṣaf)
— to represent in words
Armenian:
նկարագրել
(nkaragrel)
— to represent in words
Armenian:
բնորոշել
(bnorošel)
— to represent in words
Asturian:
describir
— to represent in words
Azerbaijani:
təsvir etmək
— to represent in words
Basque:
deskribatzea
— to represent in words
Belarusian:
апі́сваць
(apísvacʹ)
— to represent in words
Belarusian:
апіса́ць
(apisácʹ)
— to represent in words
Bengali:
বর্ণনা করা
(bornona kora)
— to represent in words
Bulgarian:
опи́свам
(opísvam)
— to represent in words
Bulgarian:
опи́ша
(opíša)
— to represent in words
Burmese:
သရုပ်ဖော်
(sa.ruphpau)
— to represent in words
Burmese:
ဖော်ပြ
(hpau-pra.)
— to represent in words
Catalan:
descriure
— to represent in words
Chinese Mandarin:
描述
(miáoshù)
— to represent in words
Chinese Mandarin:
描寫 /描写
(miáoxiě)
— to represent in words
Chinese Mandarin:
形容
(xíngróng)
— to represent in words
Cornish:
deskrifa
— to represent in words
Czech:
popisovat
— to represent in words
Czech:
popsat
— to represent in words
Danish:
beskrive
— to represent in words
Dutch:
beschrijven
— to represent in words
Dutch:
omschrijven
— to represent in words
Esperanto:
priskribi
— to represent in words
Esperanto:
adjektivi
— to represent in words
Estonian:
kirjeldama
— to represent in words
Finnish:
kuvailla
— to represent in words
Finnish:
luonnehtia
— to represent in words
French:
décrire
— to represent in words
North Frisian:
beskriiw
— to represent in words
Galician:
describir
— to represent in words
Georgian:
აღწერა
(aɣc̣era)
— to represent in words
German:
beschreiben
— to represent in words
Greek:
περιγράφω
(perigráfo)
— to represent in words
Ancient Greek:
ἐκφράζω
(ekphrázō)
— to represent in words
Hebrew:
תיאר
(te'ér)
— to represent in words
Hindi:
वर्णन करना
(varṇan karnā)
— to represent in words
Hungarian:
leír
— to represent in words
Icelandic:
lýsa
— to represent in words
Ido:
deskriptar
— to represent in words
Interlingua:
describer
— to represent in words
Italian:
descrivere
— to represent in words
Japanese:
記述する
(kijutsu suru)
— to represent in words
Japanese:
描写する
(byōsha suru)
— to represent in words
Kazakh:
сипаттау
(sipattau)
— to represent in words
Kazakh:
суреттеу
(suretteu)
— to represent in words
Kazakh:
бейнелеу
(beineleu)
— to represent in words
Khmer:
ពណ៌នា
(pɔənaʼniə)
— to represent in words
Korean:
서술하다
(seosulhada)
— to represent in words
Korean:
묘사하다
(myosahada)
— to represent in words
Ladino:
deskrivir
— to represent in words
Lao:
ພັນລະນາ
(phan la nā)
— to represent in words
Lao:
ພັນຣະນາ
(phan ra nā)
— to represent in words
Lao:
ພັນນະນາ
(phan na nā)
— to represent in words
Lao:
ຊີ້ແຈງ
(sī chǣng)
— to represent in words
Lao:
ບັນຍາຍ
(ban nyāi)
— to represent in words
Latin:
dēscrībō
— to represent in words
Latvian:
aprakstīt
— to represent in words
Lithuanian:
aprašyti
— to represent in words
Lithuanian:
išreikšti
— to represent in words
Macedonian:
опишува
(opišuva)
— to represent in words
Macedonian:
опише
(opiše)
— to represent in words
Mongolian:
зурах
(zurax)
— to represent in words
Mongolian:
тодорхойлох
(todorxojlox)
— to represent in words
Mongolian:
тайлбарлах
(tajlbarlax)
— to represent in words
Norwegian Bokmål:
beskrive
— to represent in words
Occitan:
descriure
— to represent in words
Old English:
āmearcian
— to represent in words
Oromo:
ibsuu
— to represent in words
Persian:
توصیف کردن
(towsif kardan)
— to represent in words
Persian:
وصفیدن
— to represent in words
Persian:
بیانیدن
— to represent in words
Polish:
opisywać
— to represent in words
Polish:
opisać
— to represent in words
Portuguese:
descrever
— to represent in words
Romanian:
descrie
— to represent in words
Russian:
опи́сывать
(opísyvatʹ)
— to represent in words
Russian:
описа́ть
(opisátʹ)
— to represent in words
Scots:
describe
— to represent in words
Serbo-Croatian:
описи́вати
— to represent in words
Serbo-Croatian:
опи́сати
— to represent in words
Serbo-Croatian:
opisívati
— to represent in words
Serbo-Croatian:
opísati
— to represent in words
Slovak:
opisovať
— to represent in words
Slovak:
opísať
— to represent in words
Slovak:
popisovať
— to represent in words
Slovak:
popísať
— to represent in words
Slovene:
opisovati
— to represent in words
Slovene:
opisati
— to represent in words
Lower Sorbian:
wopisowaś
— to represent in words
Lower Sorbian:
wopisaś
— to represent in words
Upper Sorbian:
wopisować
— to represent in words
Upper Sorbian:
wopisać
— to represent in words
Spanish:
describir
— to represent in words
Swedish:
beskriva
— to represent in words
Tajik:
тасвир кардан
(tasvir kardan)
— to represent in words
Tamil:
விவரி
(vivari)
— to represent in words
Telugu:
వర్ణించు
(varṇiñcu)
— to represent in words
Thai:
พรรณนา
(pan-ná-naa)
— to represent in words
Turkish:
tanımlamak
— to represent in words
Ukrainian:
опи́сувати
(opýsuvaty)
— to represent in words
Ukrainian:
описа́ти
(opysáty)
— to represent in words
Urdu:
بیان کریں
(bayān karnā)
— to represent in words
Uzbek:
tavsiflamoq
— to represent in words
Uzbek:
tasvirlamoq
— to represent in words
Vietnamese:
miêu tả
— to represent in words
Vietnamese:
mô tả
— to represent in words
Welsh:
disgrifio
— to represent in words
Yiddish:
באַשרייבן
(bashreybn)
— to represent in words
Bulgarian:
очерта́вам
(očertávam)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Bulgarian:
очерта́я
(očertája)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Danish:
beskrive
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Finnish:
kuvata
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
German:
beschreiben
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Norwegian Bokmål:
beskrive
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Russian:
опи́сывать
(opísyvatʹ)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Russian:
описа́ть
(opisátʹ)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Russian:
оче́рчивать
(očérčivatʹ)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Russian:
очерти́ть
(očertítʹ)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Slovak:
určiť
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Swedish:
beskriva
— to give rise to a geometrical structure
Tamil:
வரை
(varai)
— to give rise to a geometrical structure