Before you pick a describe synonym, decide whether you are showing what something looks like, telling what happened, or putting a label on it. Portray and depict paint a picture, recount and narrate tell events, outline and detail set the depth, and characterize sums something up in a word.
Essay writers lean on describe constantly, especially in prompts and topic sentences. Every sense below comes with another word for describe, a synonym for describe at every level of detail, and swaps for describes, described and describing.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
portray, depict, outline, detail, recountPart of speech
Verb (noun: description)Most formal
delineate, characterize, set forthMost casual
tell about, walk through, paint a pictureMost detailed
detail, document, chronicleAntonyms
conceal, gloss over, misrepresentWatch out
Explain gives reasons, describe gives features. A prompt that says explain wants the why, not only the what.Word forms covered
describes, described, describing
Describe synonym groups at a glance
| Purpose | Synonyms | Fits sentences like |
|---|---|---|
| Show what it is like | portray, depict, sketch, capture | The poem captures a winter dawn. |
| Tell events in order | recount, narrate, relate, chronicle | She recounted the night of the storm. |
| Give the main points | outline, summarize, set out | The memo sets out three options. |
| Give every point | detail, document, spell out | The guide details each safety step. |
| Label or sum up | characterize, call, term, cast as | Critics characterized the film as slow. |
Note the grammar for labels: you describe something as slow, and characterize, cast and present all keep that as.
How much detail? The brief to thorough scale
Each chip along the strip asks for a longer description than the one before. Sketch gives a rough idea. Outline covers the main points in order. Detail goes point by point. Document records every fact so someone else could check it. Chronicle records a long sequence of events, often over time, like a diary of a building project.
Matching depth to the task keeps readers happy. If a teacher asks you to outline a plot, three or four sentences will do. If a manager asks you to detail a process, they expect every step.
Describe in essays and prompts
Teachers use describe, explain and discuss as different instructions. Describe asks for features: what it looks like, how it works. Explain asks why or how. Discuss asks for sides of an argument.
In your own writing, avoid opening every paragraph with the author describes. Use verbs that show what the author is doing: the author portrays the mayor as vain, the writer recounts her first job, the article outlines the risks. You will find more reporting verbs among the academic writing words.
Lines rewritten with a better verb
- The novel describes life on a farm becomes the novel depicts life on a farm.
- He described what happened at the meeting becomes he reported what happened at the meeting.
- Describe your role in the project becomes walk us through your role in the project (interview style).
- The report describes the costs becomes the report itemizes the costs.
- Friends describe her as shy becomes friends call her shy.
- The comet described an arc across the sky becomes the comet traced an arc across the sky.
Draft line from a book review: "The writer describes the city well." Vague. Revised: "The writer paints the harbor city in sharp, salty detail, from fish stalls to rusting cranes." The new verb, paints, tells the reader the description is visual and vivid.
Swaps for describes, described and describing
Describes: the strongest describes synonym in literature essays is often portrays or presents. In science, reports or documents: the paper documents a new species.
Described: in the passive, is known as, is called and is said to be work: the valley is known as the region's fruit bowl.
Describing: as an adjective, the term descriptive fits: descriptive writing, descriptive words. For lists of adjectives, the describing words section is the place to start.
Near misses to avoid
Define gives the exact meaning of a word, not the look of a scene. Illustrate means show with an example or a picture, which is narrower than describe. Represent means stand for or act on behalf of, so the painting represents grief is about symbolism, not appearance. Characterize can carry judgment, so check it matches the view of the person you quote.
Opposites of describe
Describe has no single exact antonym, since it is hard to un-tell something. The closest ideas are hiding or blurring the facts: conceal, obscure, leave out and gloss over. Misrepresent means describing falsely.
- The statement glossed over the cost overruns.
- The ad misrepresented the size of the room.
Frequently asked questions
Which describe synonym sounds most elevated?
Delineate and set forth are the most formal. Portray and depict are elegant but still natural in essays.
Is depict the same as describe?
Close. Depict leans toward pictures, art and visual scenes, while describe works for anything, including feelings and processes.
Which word means describe in great detail?
Detail, itemize and document all mean point by point. Chronicle adds the idea of events over time.
Can I use explain instead of describe?
Only when you give reasons or causes. A description covers features and appearance, whereas an explanation covers why or how it happens.
How should I start a sentence instead of the author describes?
Choose a verb that shows the author's purpose: portrays, recounts, outlines, argues or presents. Then add how, such as the author portrays the town as lonely.
In conversation, what can stand in for describe?
Tell me about, walk me through and give me a picture of sound relaxed and friendly in speech or messages.