The choice between discuss and discuss about causes confusion because English uses many similar expressions with about, such as “talk about” and “speak about.” However, discuss follows a different sentence pattern.
In standard American English, use discuss + topic when you name what people are talking about. Say “discuss the problem,” not “discuss about the problem.”
The key difference is grammatical, not a difference in meaning or formality. Discuss is the standard verb. Discuss about + topic is generally treated as nonstandard when about introduces the thing being discussed.
Quick Answer
Use discuss directly before the topic:
Correct: We need to discuss the budget.
Nonstandard: We need to discuss about the budget.
The verb discuss is normally transitive, so the subject being discussed functions as its direct object. It does not need about before that object.
Use about with a different structure, such as “talk about the budget” or “have a discussion about the budget.”
Why People Confuse Them
The confusion usually comes from familiar English patterns. Speakers often learn phrases such as “talk about the issue,” “speak about the problem,” and “think about the decision.” It can feel natural to copy the same pattern after discuss.
That creates forms such as “discuss about the issue.” Although this wording appears in real speech and writing, standard edited English normally uses “discuss the issue.”
Another source of confusion is the noun discussion. English allows “a discussion about the issue,” so learners may assume the related verb needs the same preposition. It does not.
Compare:
- We discussed the issue.
- We had a discussion about the issue.
Both are natural. Their grammar is simply different.
Key Differences At A Glance
| Context | Best Choice | Why |
| Naming a topic directly | discuss | The topic follows the verb as a direct object |
| Business writing | discuss | Standard and natural: “discuss the proposal” |
| School or academic writing | discuss | Standard construction before the topic |
| Casual conversation | discuss | Still correct, though “talk about” may sound more conversational |
| Using “about” before the topic | not discuss about | Use “talk about” or “have a discussion about” instead |
Compact comparison
- discuss: Standard verb pattern before a topic: “discuss the schedule.”
- discuss about: Generally nonstandard when about introduces the topic: “discuss about the schedule.”
- Meaning: There is no useful meaning contrast to learn between the two forms. The main issue is sentence structure.
- Formality: Adding about does not create a more formal or more detailed meaning.
Meaning and Usage Difference
Discuss means to talk about, examine, or consider a subject, often by exchanging ideas. It can also describe written treatment of a subject.
Examples:
“The team discussed the launch date.”
“The report discusses three possible solutions.”
“We should discuss whether the change is worth the cost.”
In each case, the topic follows discuss without about.
By contrast, discuss about is not a separate standard verb with its own meaning. When someone writes “We discussed about the delay,” the intended meaning is normally the same as “We discussed the delay.” The standard fix is simply to remove about.
One important detail is that the exact word sequence discuss about can occasionally appear when about belongs to another part of a larger sentence rather than directly introducing the object of discuss. The rule here concerns the common pattern discuss about + topic.
Tone, Context, and Formality
Discuss works in everyday, professional, educational, and formal contexts. It often sounds slightly more deliberate than casual “talk,” especially when people are examining a problem, making a decision, or considering options.
For example:
“Let’s discuss the contract tomorrow.”
This sounds natural in a workplace setting.
“Let’s talk about the contract tomorrow.”
This is also correct and may sound a little more conversational.
Discuss about does not signal a special tone. It is not a more formal version of discuss, nor does it mean “discuss in detail.” When about directly introduces the topic, standard US English normally leaves it out.
Which One Should You Use?
Choose discuss when the next words name the subject under consideration.
Say:
“We need to discuss your application.”
“They discussed the new policy.”
“Can we discuss this after lunch?”
“The class discussed how the ending changed the story.”
Do not add about before the topic.
A simple pattern helps:
discuss + topic
You can also add the person involved:
discuss + topic + with + person
For example:
“I discussed the schedule with my manager.”
Notice that with introduces the person, while the topic remains the direct object of discuss.
When One Choice Sounds Wrong
Discuss about sounds wrong in standard edited English when about sits between the verb and its topic.
Nonstandard:
“Let’s discuss about the deadline.”
Better:
“Let’s discuss the deadline.”
Nonstandard:
“She discussed about her concerns with the doctor.”
Better:
“She discussed her concerns with the doctor.”
The correction is usually easy: remove about.
However, do not remove every about that happens to appear somewhere after discuss. The important question is what about is doing in the sentence. The problem occurs when it is unnecessarily used to introduce the direct topic of discuss.
Common Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
A frequent mistake is mixing the patterns for discuss and “talk about.”
Wrong: “We talked the problem.”
Correct: “We talked about the problem.”
Wrong: “We discussed about the problem.”
Correct: “We discussed the problem.”
Another mistake is using about because the noun form allows it.
Wrong: “We will discuss about pricing.”
Correct: “We will discuss pricing.”
Also correct: “We will have a discussion about pricing.”
Writers sometimes add both about and with:
Wrong: “I discussed about the complaint with customer service.”
Correct: “I discussed the complaint with customer service.”
The fastest fix is to identify the topic and place it directly after discuss.
Everyday Examples
Here are natural examples for common US settings:
Work: “We’ll discuss the revised budget at Monday’s meeting.”
School: “The class discussed the causes of the conflict.”
Health: “She discussed her symptoms with her doctor.”
Family: “We need to discuss our plans for the weekend.”
Customer service: “I discussed the billing error with a representative.”
Email: “I’d like to discuss the next steps.”
Planning: “They discussed whether to move the event indoors.”
Writing: “The article discusses the effects of rising housing costs.”
In each example, discuss connects directly to the topic, a pronoun, a clause, or an understood subject. Adding about before a stated topic would make the construction nonstandard.
Dictionary-Style Word Details
Verb
- discuss: A verb, normally used transitively when a topic is stated. The topic can be a noun phrase, pronoun, question clause, or an -ing construction. Example: “We discussed the proposal.”
- discuss about: Not a separate standard verb. In the pattern discuss about + topic, about is normally unnecessary. Use “discuss the topic” instead.
Noun
- discuss: Not commonly used as a noun in standard US English. The usual related noun is discussion.
- discuss about: Not a noun or a standard noun expression. A natural noun construction is “a discussion about something.”
Synonyms
- discuss: Depending on context, close alternatives include talk about, talk over, debate, consider, and review. These are not exact substitutes in every sentence because their tone and meaning can differ.
- discuss about: It has no separate standard meaning requiring its own synonym set. Replace the construction with discuss + topic or, when appropriate, talk about + topic.
A single clear antonym does not fit every sense of discuss, so forcing one would be misleading.
Example Sentences
- discuss: “Let’s discuss the offer before we make a decision.”
- discuss: “Maya discussed the concern with her supervisor.”
- discuss: “The report discusses why the program was changed.”
- discuss about: “Let’s discuss about the offer” is nonstandard when the offer is the topic. Write “Let’s discuss the offer.”
- discuss about: “We discussed about the problem” should normally be “We discussed the problem.”
Word History
- discuss: The verb entered English centuries ago through French and Latin sources. Its earlier senses involved examining or investigating a matter. Modern use commonly means talking about or considering a subject.
- discuss about: This is not a separate historical word or established standard verb form. It is a combination that often arises by analogy with expressions such as “talk about.”
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discuss
Phrases Containing
- discuss: Common patterns include “discuss the issue,” “discuss the matter,” “discuss something with someone,” “discuss whether,” “discuss how,” and “discuss doing something.”
- discuss about: Avoid the pattern “discuss about + topic” in standard US English. Use “discuss the topic,” “talk about the topic,” or “have a discussion about the topic,” depending on the sentence.
FAQs
In standard American English, discuss about + topic is generally considered incorrect. The verb discuss normally takes the topic directly as its object. Write “We discussed the problem,” not “We discussed about the problem.”
Discuss is a transitive verb, so it can connect directly to the subject being discussed. You can say “discuss the issue,” “discuss the plan,” or “discuss your concerns.” The preposition about is unnecessary before the topic.
Use “discuss the issue.” This is the standard construction in American English. “Discuss about the issue” is common among some learners, but it is not recommended in formal, academic, or professional writing.
Yes, but you usually need to state what was discussed. For example, “I discussed the problem with my manager” is natural. The pattern is discuss + topic + with + person.
Both can refer to speaking about a subject, but their grammar differs. Use discuss + topic, as in “We discussed the budget.” Use talk about + topic, as in “We talked about the budget.” “Talk about” often sounds more conversational.
Yes. Discussion is a noun, so “a discussion about something” is correct. For example, “We had a discussion about the schedule.” With the verb, however, write “We discussed the schedule.” The noun and verb follow different grammatical patterns.
Conclusion
For the choice between discuss and discuss about, use discuss when you directly name the topic.
Write “discuss the plan,” “discuss the problem,” and “discuss your options.” Do not normally write “discuss about the plan” or “discuss about the problem.”
The easiest rule to remember is simple: discuss + topic. Use about with structures such as “talk about” or “a discussion about,” not between discuss and its direct topic.
