describe

describeverb

1. say what it is likesay or write what someone or something is like, or what happened

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj] verb + wh-clause [V + wh] verb + object + as + noun or adjective [V + obj + as]

   • Can you describe the man you saw? V + obj
   • She described the house to me in detail. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Describe what happened next. V + wh
   • He described the trip as the best week of his life. V + obj + as

   Collocations

   adverb + verb accurately describe, briefly describe

   verb + adverb describe something in detail, describe something clearly

   phrase describe something to someone, describe someone as something, hard to describe

   Compare explain

2. draw a shapemove in a way that makes a particular shape, such as a circle or a line that bends

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] formal

   • The ball described a high curve through the air. V + obj
   • The bird described slow circles above the field. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun describe a curve, describe a circle, describe an arc