Synonyms of describe

describe

verb

di-ˈskrīb 

1

as in to depict

to give a representation or account of in words

he tried to describe the dream he had last night as accurately as he could

Synonyms & Similar Words

• depict
• portray
• characterize
• illustrate
• define
• render
• paint
• summarize
• set out
• recount
• delineate
• represent
• tell
• outline
• picture
• relate
• sketch
• draw
• demonstrate
• image
• suggest
• show
• narrate
• limn
• display
• report
• qualify
• recite
• exhibit
• label
• trace
• hint
• rehearse
• redescribe
• sum up
• draft
• touch off
• vignette
• silhouette
• reimage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distort
• misrepresent
• falsify
• color
• twist
• misstate
• pervert
• warp
• misdescribe
• garble

2

as in to tell

to give an oral or written account of in some detail

a biography of Washington that describes the decisive Battle of Yorktown at great length

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tell
• relate
• recount
• narrate
• chronicle
• report
• set forth
• depict
• detail
• recite
• chart
• rehearse
• voice
• state
• reveal
• express
• disclose
• utter
• enumerate
• divulge
• itemize
• deliver
• give
• expose
• particularize
• delineate
• render
• reel off
• bare
• sketch
• let on (about)

3

as in to characterize

to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group

how would you describe the Inupiat people you encountered in Alaska?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• characterize
• define
• portray
• depict
• represent
• identify
• character
• classify
• categorize
• indicate
• specify
• type
• pigeonhole
• distinguish
• mark
• name
• individualize
• particularize
• stamp
• color

Examples of describe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Iranian military statement described Israel's warplanes as firing lightweight missiles at a distance of 62 miles from the Iranian border. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 27 Oct. 2024

Building on a past analysis of the first firefly species identified from that era, initially described in 2015, a separate team of scientists investigated another 99 million-year-old firefly trapped in tree resin. —Jackie Wattles, CNN, 26 Oct. 2024

Harris’s novel, however, features an Italian main character: Cardinal Jacopo Lomeli, who is 75 years old and described as being a bit frailer than Fiennes’ more energetic depiction. —Eric Andersson, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024

Kohr conducted the autopsies on the teens on Feb. 15, 2017, and described the injuries that likely killed them. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Oct. 2024