Standard Lemma guide

describe

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: report, account

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inform

8

verb

Meaning 8

give a description of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He drew an elaborate plan of attack

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: depict, draw

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: set forth, expound, exposit

Narrower terms: represent, delineate, sketch, outline, adumbrate

9

verb

Meaning 9

make a mark or lines on a surface

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • draw a line
  • trace the outline of a figure in the sand

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: trace, draw, line, delineate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mark

Narrower terms: construct, inscribe, circumscribe, write

History

Etymology

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
  • German: beschreiben — to author a new taxon
  • Swedish: beskriva — to author a new taxon
Real reading context

describe in complete knowledge articles