describe

英 [dɪ'skraɪb] 美 [dɪ'skraɪb]

• vt. 描述；说成；形容；画(尤指几何图形)

双解释义

v. (动词)

1. vt. 描写,叙述

   say what sth is like; give a picture of in words

2. vt. 画出(图形等)

   draw (especially a geometrical figure)

详尽释义

v. 动词

1. 讲述，叙述，记述，评述，表述，讲讲，谈一谈
2. 制（图），作（图），画（图形），描绘，描摹，勾画出…的轮廓， 形成…的形状
3. 描写，描述，形容
4. 把…说成，把…称为
5. 表示，指示，意味着
6. <废>望见，看出，辨别出
7. 提供描述，进行描述，起描述作用

英英释义

Verb:

1. give a description of;

   "He drew an elaborate plan of attack"
   

2. to give an account or representation of in words;

   "Discreet Italian police described it in a manner typically continental"
   

3. make a mark or lines on a surface;

   "draw a line"
   "trace the outline of a figure in the sand"
   

4. identify as in botany or biology, for example

例句

用作及物动词 (vt.)

1. The police asked me to describe exactly how it happened.
   警察让我描述一下这事是怎样发生的。
2. Words cannot describe the beauty of the scene.
   语言难以描述那景色之美丽。
3. He describes himself as a doctor.
   他自称是医生。
4. No one could describe the scorn of her expression.
   谁也无法形容她那股鄙夷万分的表情。
5. It is very difficult to describe my joy in words.
   我的快乐难以用语言来形容。
6. The falling star described a long curve in the sky.
   流星在空中画出了一道长长的弧线。

常见句型

用作动词 (v.)

用作及物动词

S+～+ n./pron.

1. Can you describe your son?
   你能描述你儿子的特征吗?
2. She would pile on the agony whenever she described the operation on her finger.
   一提起自己手指上动过的手术,她总要把它说得如何如何痛苦。
3. He described the accident in detail.
   他详细地描述了这次事故的情况。
4. I can't describe my anger in words.
   我无法用语言来表达我的愤怒。
5. Words cannot describe the beauty of the scene.
   此景之美非笔墨所能形容。
6. No words can describe my feelings.
   无法用语言形容我的感情。
7. Will you describe the story?
   把经过叙说一下好吗?
8. Huck described his entire adventure on Cardiff Hill.
   哈克描述了他在加第夫山上的整个历险经过。
9. Victor Henry described the tank battle he had observed.
   维克多·亨利把他所看到的坦克战描述了一番。
10. With a heavy heart she described the fate of her mother.
    她怀着沉重的心情讲述了妈妈的遭遇。
11. Can you describe a circle within a square?
    你能在正方形里做一圆圈吗?
12. Describe a circle on the floor with a piece of chalk.
    在地板上用支粉笔画个圆。
13. It is easy to describe a circle if you have a pair of compasses.
    如果你有一副圆规,就能很容易画一个圆。
14. The spinning top described a figure 8.
    旋转着的陀螺转成一个8字形。
15. The falling star described a long curve in the sky.
    陨石在天际划出一道长长的弧线。
16. The rainbow described an arc in the dark sky.
    彩虹在昏暗的天空划出了一道圆弧。

S+～+ v -ing

1. She described in detail their resisting the invaders.
   她详细叙述了他们抵抗侵略者的事迹。

S+～+wh-clause

1. Try to describe exactly what happened before the accident.
   设法描述一下就在事故发生前的确切情景。
2. Who'd like to describe what happened just now?
   谁来描述一下刚才所发生的情形?
3. Please describe what you saw.
   请描述你所见到的情形。
4. I can't describe what I felt at that moment.
   我不能描述当时的感受。
5. The man described what he had seen and heard.
   那人描述了他的所见所闻。
6. She described how she had narrowly escaped death.
   她叙述了她九死一生的经历。
7. He described how we should proceed.
   他向我们说明应当如何着手。

用作双宾动词

S+～+ n./pron. +to pron./n.

1. Can you describe that gentleman to him?
   这位绅士的样子,你能对他形容一下吗?
2. Can you describe the thief to me?
   你能向我描述那个盗贼的特征吗?
3. Could you describe the accident to us?
   你能把出事的经过向我们叙述一下吗?
4. Can you describe that battle to them?
   你把那次战斗给他们描述一下好吗?
5. Mr. Lincoln once described this journey to me.
   林肯先生曾经向我讲述了这次旅行的经历。
6. Please describe to me the man who asked you that question.
   请向我描述一下问你那个问题的人。

用作宾补动词

S+～+ n./pron. +as n./adj. / v -ing

1. He describes himself as a doctor, but I feel he is a quack.
   他自称是医生,可是我感觉他是个江湖骗子。
2. She described herself as an unemployed painter.
   她说她是个失了业的油漆匠。
3. They described themselves as weavers.
   他们自称为织工。
4. The prisoner described himself as a homeless wanderer.
   那个囚犯自称是一个无家可归的流浪汉。
5. I would describe him as an excellent teacher.
   我认为他是一位非常好的老师。
6. She described him as a scoundrel.
   她认为他是一个恶棍。
7. Mr.Timken was not very happy to hear the teacher describing his daughter as an illiterate.
   塔姆肯先生听老师说他的女儿是文盲,感到很不开心。
8. His son is clever that everyone describes him as a genius.
   他儿子非常聪明,大家都称他为天才。
9. They described his attempt as unsuccessful.
   他们把他的尝试说成是失败的。
10. Reports from the city described the casualties as very heavy.
    来自城市的报告说伤亡惨重。
11. Would you describe this poem as well written?
    你认为这首诗写得好吗?
12. They described him as being very clever.
    他们说他很聪明。
13. His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.
    雇主说他缺乏主动性和干劲。
1
14. Pushkin might be best described as the Russian Byron.
    可以把普希金恰如其分地称为俄国的拜伦。
15. Shorthand and typewriting have been described as the twin arts.
    速记和打字被说成是一对孪生技巧。
16. She was described as a good-natured woman.
    据说她是个脾气温顺的女子。
17. He was described as very kind.
    人们形容他很客气。
18. He was described as being very clever.
    据说他聪明过人。
19. My mother was described as being a very conceited woman, but she wasn't.
    有人把我妈妈描绘成一个高傲的女人,其实她不是。
20. The texture of the rock's grains was described as being like sugar.
    这种岩石颗粒的质地被说成像糖一样。

S+～+ n./pron. +to be n.

1. They described me to be a mysterious person.
   他们把我描绘成一个神秘的人。

经典引文

• In a much sounder sense than that in which..Matthew Arnold described it as being so, the eighteenth century was to be the Age of Prose.

  出自： G. Saintsbury

• He describes..the routines of bourgeois lifesflannel suits, the cakes and tea.

  出自： P. Ackroyd

• It was impossible for her to describe the beauty of the river;..to convey its peacefulness.

  出自： S. Naipaul

词汇搭配

用作动词 (v.)

～+名词

• describe a circle 做一圆圈
• describe a good-natured woman 描述一个脾气温顺的女子
• describe a scoundrel 形容一个恶棍
• describe an arc in the dark sky 在昏暗的天空中划出了一道圆弧
• describe an excellent teacher 描述一位非常好的老师
• describe an ordinary 描述一个普通人
• describe sb's employer 描述雇主
• describe sb's joy 形容某人的快乐
• describe that battle 把战斗描述一下
• describe the accident 把出事的经过叙述一下
• describe the beauty of the scene 描述美丽的场景
• describe the scene 描述那种情景
• describe the story 把经过叙说一下
• describe the thief 描述那个盗贼的特征
• describe these subjects 阐述这些问题

～+副词

• describe well 描述得恰如其分
• describe aesthetically 审美地描述
• describe appropriately 恰当地描述
• describe briefly 简洁地描述
• describe clearly 阐述得很清楚
• describe correctly 正确地描述
• describe exactly 精确地描述
• describe graphically 生动地描绘
• describe justly 公正地描述
• describe minutely 详细地描述
• describe precisely 精确地描述
• describe roughly 粗略地描绘
• describe tersely 简洁地描述
• describe thoroughly 详尽地描述
• describe unsuccessfully 失败地描述
• describe vividly 生动地描写

～+介词

• describe as 把…说成,把…称为
• describe oneself as a doctor 自称是医生
• describe sb as really clever 说某人是真正的聪明人
• describe sb as uncle 称某人为大叔
• describe for 向…描述
• describe to 向…描述

词语用法

1. describe有(用文字)描述的意思。例：describe a landscape（用文字来）描述风景。

v. (动词)

1. describe的基本意思是“描写”,特指用语言文字描述,多是生动地、具体地,力图将所叙述的内容像图片般栩栩如生地呈现在他人面前,不仅给人以视觉印象,而且使其他感官也产生共鸣。describe还可表示“画出(图形等)”。
2. describe是及物动词,接名词、代词、动名词或疑问词从句作宾语。
3. describe不用于describe sb sth 结构,如表示“向…描述”,须借助于介词to。
4. describe的宾语后常接以as短语充当补足语的复合宾语,表示“把…描述为”“认为…”, as后面可接名词、形容词或现在分词、过去分词。as极少改为to be。

词义辨析

v. (动词)

describe, narrate, recite, recount, rehearse, relate, report, state

• 这组词都有“讲述”的意思。其区别是：
• relate专指有条理、连贯和完整地叙述故事或自己看到、经历的事情; rehearse指总结性地讲述或重复讲述; recite和recount均指把每一细节都详细讲述或列举出来; narrate专指采用编造情节、悬念和高潮等文学手段生动地讲叙; describe侧重能给听众产生深刻印象的详尽而清楚地描述; state强调原原本本、不加修饰地用口头或书面形式清楚明确地讲述,强调旨在提供事实素材或看法; report指经过调查研究之后,为提供有关事实和情况,对某事的细节作出精确叙述或报告。

describe, depict, portray

• 这组词都含有“描绘”“描述”的意思,其宾语可以是人、物,也可以是事物。它们之间的区别是:
• 1.describe指用语言文字描述; portray指通过故事、小说等方式用文字来描述,还可专指用笔描绘或绘画; depict指给物体着色或是素描,借用在文学上表示“描写”,强调外表、形象、色彩等具体细节。 例如:
• Words cannot describe my joy.
• 言语不能形容我的快乐。
• The book depicts him as a rather unpleas- ant character.
• 这本书把他刻画成一个相当令人讨厌 的人物。
• In British history books Richard Ⅲ is usu- ally portrayed as a wicked man.
• 英国历史书通常把理查三世说成是个 坏人。
• 2.describe和depict是生动地、具体地描述,力图将所叙述的内容像图片般栩栩如生地呈现在他人面前; portray是一般地描述。例如:
• The writer portrays life in a refugee camp very vividly.这位作者生动地描述了难民营中的生活。
• 3.describe后可接疑问词引起的从句,而portray不能这样用。

describe，represent，sketch，picture

• 这些动词均有“描写、描述”之意。
• describe侧重指描述细节，给读者或听众提供清晰的视觉图像。
• represent指有代表性或象征性地描述或讲述。
• sketch指快速地勾勒或概略地叙述。
• picture着重能够栩栩如生地把事物或场景等描绘出来。

常见错误

v. (动词)

1. 我想给你讲述一下某些困难。

   误 I want to describe you some of the difficulties.

   正 I want to describe to you some of the difficulties.

   正 I want to describe some of the difficulties to you.

   析 describe不可用于describe sb sth 结构, sb 由介词to引出。

词源解说

• ☆ 13世纪初期进入英语，直接源自古法语的descrivre；最初源自古典拉丁语的describere，意为记录，简述。

近反义词

【近义词】

• characterize
• narrate
• picture
• portray
• recount
• relate