describe

/dɪˈskraɪb/

give a detailed account of something

She described the scenery in vivid detail.

She gave a detailed and colorful account of the scenery.

general

to give a detailed account of something in words

The witness described the suspect to the police.

The witness gave a detailed verbal account of the suspect's appearance and actions.

The book describes the history of the region.

The book provides a detailed written account of the region's history.

Often used with prepositions like 'to' (describe to someone) or 'as' (describe as something).

Collocations

describe in detailgive a thorough accountdescribe vividlygive a lively and colorful accountdescribe accuratelygive a precise and correct account

to characterize something in a particular way

to give an account to someone

Remember to use 'to' when describing something to someone (e.g., 'describe the scene to the audience').

Always use 'describe' with an object (e.g., 'describe the event').

From Middle English 'describen,' from Old French 'descrivre,' from Latin 'describere,' meaning 'to write down, copy, or draw.'

Can be used both transitively (with an object) and intransitively (without an object). Often used in formal and informal contexts.

des-

intensive prefix

prefix

-cribe

to write or draw

root

English Dictionary