describe

A1 Topic:Communication

US /dɪˈskɹaɪb/ UK [dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b] See IPA manual

Freq #3018

Meanings

1

verb
To say what someone or something is like using words.

Usage: Describe takes the thing described as its direct object. To name the listener, use describe something to someone.

Please describe the missing suitcase to the station attendant.

Can you describe the man who stole your bag?
2

verb
To draw or trace the shape of something, such as a curve or circle.

The dancer's hand described a circle in the air.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to say what someone or... portray account

More betellchronicle delineate depict draw explain narrate recount relate report represent state

Opposites

burlesque caricature distort exaggerate misrepresent

Word family

Forms describeddescribesdescribingundescribed

Derived forms abovedescribedaforedescribeddescribabilitydescribeedescribermisdescribeoverdescribepredescriberedescribe

Related forms describable description descriptivedescriptivismdescriptivistdescriptorscribe

Etymology

Through Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō, to copy or describe in writing, combining dē- with scrībō, to write; its infinitive is scrībere.

*(s)kreybʰ- Proto-Indo-European descriven Middle English descrivre Old French dēscrībō Latin scribere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Communication

External links

# describe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈskɹaɪb/
**IPA (UK):** [dɪˈskɹaɪ̯b]
**Frequency rank:** 3018

## Meanings
1. To say what someone or something is like using words.
2. To draw or trace the shape of something, such as a curve or circle.

## Usage Notes
- To say what someone or something is like using words.: Describe takes the thing described as its direct object. To name the listener, use describe something to someone.

## Examples
- Please describe the missing suitcase to the station attendant.
- Can you describe the man who stole your bag?
- The dancer's hand described a circle in the air.

## Synonyms
- betell
- chronicle
- delineate
- depict
- draw
- explain
- narrate
- recount
- relate
- report
- represent
- state

## Antonyms
- burlesque
- caricature
- distort
- exaggerate
- misrepresent

## Derived Forms
- abovedescribed
- aforedescribed
- describability
- describee
- describer
- misdescribe
- overdescribe
- predescribe
- redescribe

## Related Forms
- describable
- description
- descriptive
- descriptivism
- descriptivist
- descriptor
- scribe

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)kreybʰ-
- Root: descriven
- Root: descrivre
- Root: dēscrībō
- Root: scribere - to write

## Etymology
Through Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō, to copy or describe in writing, combining dē- with scrībō, to write; its infinitive is scrībere.

## AI Etymology
describe comes 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. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ-, Middle English descriven, Old French descrivre, Latin dēscrībō. Current senses include to say what someone or something is like using words and to draw or trace the shape of something, such as a curve or circle. English relatives and later formations include abovedescribed, aforedescribed, describability, describable, description.

## Topics
- Communication

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