describes
describes — 動詞
- describespresent simple I / you / we / they
- describeses3rd person singular
- describesing-ing form
- describesedpast simple
1. to explain in words how something looks, sounds, feels, or behaves, so that the
描述；形容
用言語說明人或事物的樣貌特徵
to explain in words how something looks, sounds, feels, or behaves, so that the listener or reader can form a clear picture of it
Lara described her hometown to the class, mentioning the old stone bridge and the market.
Lara 向全班同學描述她的家鄉，提到那座古老的石橋和市集。
describe + noun + to + person
The witness described the car as dark blue with a broken headlight and a dented door.
目擊者描述那輛車是深藍色的，有一個破掉的頭燈和一扇凹陷的車門。
describe + noun + as + noun phrase
Jin found it hard to describe exactly how the accident had happened.
Jin 發現自己很難確切描述那場意外是怎麼發生的。
News reports described the earthquake as the most destructive event the island had ever experienced.
新聞報導將這場地震描述為該島嶼有史以來最具破壞性的事件。
Amani described the pain in her ankle as a sharp burning sensation that came and went.
Amani 將她腳踝的疼痛描述為一陣短暫而劇烈的灼熱感。
- portray
more literary or artistic, often suggests creating a vivid image
- depict
more formal than describe; often used in art or literature contexts
- characterize
focuses on the distinctive qualities of someone or something
- outline
gives a general description without many details
- conceal
to keep something hidden rather than describing it
- misrepresent
to describe something in a way that is not truthful
文法句型
describe + noun/pronoun
describe + noun/pronoun + as + noun/adjective
describe + wh-clause (how/what/where/when)
describe + noun + to + person
用法筆記
Commonly followed by as to introduce a quality or role: describe someone as helpful. Frequently used in passive constructions in news and academic writing.
常見錯誤
2. to draw the shape of something, or to move along a path that creates or follows
畫出；繪製
畫出形狀或沿線移動
to draw the shape of something, or to move along a path that creates or follows a particular line or outline
The dancer's arm described a slow, graceful circle in the air.
舞者的手臂在空中畫出一個優美而緩慢的圓弧。
describe + a [geometric shape] (arm/body part)
Hugo used a compass to describe a perfect circle on the paper before cutting it.
Hugo 用圓規在紙上畫出一個完美的圓形，然後把它剪下來。
describe + a [shape] + on + surface
The plane described a wide curve over the ocean before turning back toward the airport.
飛機在海面上空劃出一道寬闊的弧線，然後轉回機場方向。
Adina slowly described the outline of the map on the wall with her index finger.
Adina 用食指慢慢地沿著牆上地圖的輪廓描繪。
The satellite described an elliptical orbit around the Earth every ninety minutes.
那顆衛星每九十分鐘沿著橢圓形軌道繞地球運行一圈。
文法句型
describe + noun (shape/curve/path)
用法筆記
This sense is found mainly in formal, literary, or technical writing about movement, geometry, and the arts. It is rarely used in everyday conversation.
3. to formally identify a newly found living thing, assign it to a particular group
鑑定命名
辨識新物種並給予科學名稱
to formally identify a newly found living thing, assign it to a particular group, and register its scientific name according to the standard rules of biology
The team described three new species of frog found deep in the rainforest of Madagascar.
研究團隊在馬達加斯加的雨林深處發現並描述了三種新的蛙類物種。
describe + species + of + [organism type]
Botanists at the university described the plant as a wild orchid never seen in Southeast Asia.
大學的植物學家將這種植物描述為一種東南亞前所未見的野生蘭花。
Dr. Amani described the beetle in a 2019 paper, naming it after the park where it was found.
Amani 博士在 2019 年的一篇論文中描述了這種甲蟲，並以發現牠的公園來命名。
Scientists have described over a million species, but millions more are believed to remain undiscovered.
科學家已描述超過一百萬個物種，但據信還有數百萬個物種尚未被發現。
文法句型
describe + noun (species/genus)
describe + noun + as + noun
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in biology and taxonomy. A species is 'described' when a formal scientific publication announces its discovery, names it, and lists its distinguishing features.