INDEX:
1. to describe something or someone in a particular way
2. to give someone or something a name that describes them
3. a name that people call someone or something
RELATED WORDS
to call someone a particular name : ↑ NAME
to say something loudly : ↑ SHOUT
see also
↑ DESCRIBE
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1. to describe something or someone in a particular way
▷ describe somebody/something as /dɪˈskraɪb somebody/something æz/ [verb phrase]
▪ Olsen described herself as a campaign manager for the organization.
▪ Critics have described the book as ‘garbage’.
▪ Eliot was described by Lewis as arrogant, sly and insincere.
▪ How would you describe your relationship with your parents?
▷ say (that) something/somebody is /ˈseɪ ðət somebody/something ɪz/ [verb phrase]
to describe someone or something in a particular way, especially when this is your opinion and other people might disagree :
▪ People say she’s too ambitious.
▪ They say that Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
▪ It is an over-simplification to say that Britain is a democracy.
▷ call /kɔːl/ [transitive verb]
to use a particular word or phrase to describe someone or something in order to give your opinion of them :
call somebody something
▪ Are you calling me a liar?
▪ ‘She’s a fraud.’ ‘I wouldn’t call her that.’
▪ Already his followers were calling him a saint.
call something something
▪ What he did was wrong, but I wouldn’t call it a crime.
▷ label /ˈleɪb ə l/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to describe someone, usually unfairly or incorrectly, as being a particular type or person, especially one that you disapprove of :
label somebody (as) lazy/stupid/uncooperative etc
▪ The unemployed are often labelled as lazy or unreliable.
label somebody (as) a troublemaker/alcoholic/dissident etc
▪ When we’re ready to label them as suspects, we’ll release their descriptions.
▪ She lashed out at her critics who had labelled her a bimbo.
▷ brand /brænd/ [transitive verb]
to describe someone or something as a bad type of person or thing, usually unfairly :
brand somebody/something (as) unreliable/incompetent/foolish etc
▪ Brown’s assistant has been branded in the papers as incompetent.
brand somebody/something (as) a racist/traitor/coward etc
▪ Stalin’s opponents were branded as spies and traitors.
▪ Government posters from the 1930s branded marijuana a ‘killer drug.’
▷ hail something/somebody as /ˈheɪl something/somebody æz/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to describe someone or something as being very good, especially in newspapers, magazines, on television etc :
▪ This new drug is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.
▪ Many still hail Elvis Presley as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
2. to give someone or something a name that describes them
▷ call /kɔːl/ [transitive verb]
call something something
▪ They call Chicago ‘The Windy City’.
call somebody something
▪ People call her ‘The Duck Lady of Lake Murray’ because she been feeding the ducks there daily for five years.
▷ christen /ˈkrɪs ə n/ [transitive verb]
to invent a name for someone or something, and use it whenever you talk about them, especially because you think it suits them or is funny :
christen somebody/something something
▪ The band christened her ‘Mutti’ after the German word for mother.
▪ The engine was affectionately christened ‘Puffing Billy’.
▷ dub /dʌb/ [transitive verb]
to give someone or something a name, often a humorous name, that describes their character - used especially in newspapers :
dub somebody/something something
▪ The two men had such a reputation for drug abuse that they were dubbed ‘The Toxic Twins.’
▪ The program to distribute Thanksgiving turkeys was dubbed ‘Operation Gobble.’
3. a name that people call someone or something
▷ nickname /ˈnɪkneɪm/ [countable noun]
a name given to someone, especially by their friends or family, that is not their real name, and that often describes their character or what they look like :
▪ She got the nickname ‘Sis’ because her brother couldn’t pronounce her name when they were kids.
▪ His fondness for rings had already earned him the nickname Ringo.
nickname [transitive verb]
▪ Mona - nicknamed Mo - had two teenage sons.
▷ label /ˈleɪb ə l/ [countable noun]
a word used regularly as a description of someone or something, showing that people think of them, often unfairly, as belonging to a particular type :
▪ He objects to the sexist label - he doesn’t think he’s sexist at all.
▪ At one time he was given the label ‘communist’ for his opposition to the Vietnam war.
▷ tag /tæg/ [countable noun]
a word or phrase used regularly in connection with a particular person’s name to describe their character, behaviour etc, especially in a way the person does not like :
▪ During one game I accidentally scored against my own side and acquired the tag ‘wrong way’ Jones.
▪ I didn’t blame her for hating the ‘mayor’s ex-girlfriend’ tag.