Bill Clinton spoke in ambiguous language when asked to describe his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
Source: tatoeba (1997)
Describe
/dɪˈskɹaɪb/
Synonyms for "describe" (255 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (51)
Verb(18 words)
Noun(23 words)
animal character statusattribute a flawattributesbasin feature labelblazonscaption for watercaptioningcharacterize bycharacterizingcharacterizing individualschronicle of eventsclassroom parity termclearly defined purposecolor naming termcommunity structuresconduct profilecurrent political termcyberbulliesdanish stilhed tonedefining
Show 3 more words
be characteristicbring to lifecharactercharacterizechronicleconstruedefinedelineatedemarcatedemonstrate
Strong matches (77)
Verb(22 words)
depictingdepictsdescribe energy flowdescribesdetaildiscoverdiscuss resultsdistinguishecologizesexplain causeexplainsfeaturizedformulate methodgrecianize designidentifykeykey outlabeledlaying outlimned
Noun(20 words)
depicting actiondetail traitsdetail typedetail worddetailingdetailing processdetailsdocument elementdocument featuredocument sourcedocumentingemergency policy relatedfood-web linkfossil imprint detailfossil imprint texturehighly labeled datasetinteraction history detailsinventory descriptorlight descriptormodifier type
Adjective(9 words)
descriptive labeldetaileddry labeleconomic statefuzzy decision makinggeographic surfacehistorical process changehistorical recountlabeled bottle
Related words (127)
Noun(54 words)
most labelednarratingnarrative accountnormal force conceptnote capture methodobserved energy distributionoutline shapeoutline the stepspaintingpaper methodsplant characteristicplant stress responsepollination network studyportray variableposition descriptorprofileprofile dataprofilesprofilingproperty term
Show 34 more words
radical paradigm shiftrecountingrelating toreportingreportsretrospectshared history narrativeshow and tellsketchessoil attributespeed descriptorstate judiciary reformstate legislature processstate math curriculumstate matterstate of matterstate of present momentstate programstate safety alertstate statute codestate your positionstory featurestructure descriptorswedish ärtell firsthandtell someone aboutterm as descriptortermstimeline accounttrait labelvoice systemvoiced systemwetland water cycleword class property
Verb(30 words)
namenarratenarratednarratesoutlineoutlinedpaint a picturepaint the wallpaintedportrayportrayedportrayingportraysprovide informationrecountrecountedrelaterepresentsensualizeset forth
Show 10 more words
set out detailsstatestate the problemsummarizetermingtraceverbalizedverbalized emotionsverbalizesverbalizing aloud
Adjective(7 words)
opposing forces frameworkphysiologic system processplain color patternrelatedrelevant detailssmall detailunseen attribute
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: depict, delineate, draw, explain, report.
- Sentence evidence is available for describe, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "describe".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "describe"
Keep "describe" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "describe" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "describe", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "describe" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
8 entriescharacterizedepictdetailexperimental descriptionportrayprocedure descriptionprocess descriptionstructural description
Collocations
5 entriesaccurate descriptioncharacter descriptionclear descriptiondetailed descriptionprocess description
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
25 total sentences available.
Can you describe the object?
Source: tatoeba (44133)
Words cannot describe the beauty.
Source: tatoeba (44335)
Describe that accident in detail.
Source: tatoeba (47076)
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "describe"?
Closest matches include depict, delineate, draw, explain, report.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "describe"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.