ENGLISH
REFERENCE

describing

v.
A1 Beginner US //dɪsˈkɹaɪbɪŋ// UK //dɪskɹˈaɪbɪŋ// de·scrib·ing

v. giving details about what someone or something is like so that others can imagine it. You use words to paint a picture of a person, place, or event.

v. providing a detailed account or representation of the characteristics of a person, object, or event. The present participle form of 'describe', used to form continuous tenses or as a gerund.


SIMPLE

She is describing her new house to her friends.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness spent an hour describing the suspect to the police artist to create a sketch.

COMPLEX

By describing the subtle shifts in light across the valley, the author establishes a melancholic tone that persists throughout the opening chapter of the novel.

Synonyms
Usage

Transitive; requires a direct object or a 'wh-' clause.

Pitfall

describing about the moviedescribing the movieThe verb is transitive and takes a direct object; do not use the preposition 'about'.

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