Embelia pacifica is a liana, or when young, a scandent shrub. The branches spread widely and are notable for their prominent, slightly raised lenticels. The leaves are simple and alternate, with blades that are obovate to elliptic or rarely suborbicular, ranging in size from 3.5 to 19 cm in length and 1.4 to 9.8 cm in width. The larger leaves, particularly those over 14 cm long, are typically found on young growth. The leaf apex is rounded or occasionally bluntly acuminate, and the base is cuneate. The surfaces of the leaves are glabrous or rarely pubescent and are conspicuously punctate, with the blades being membranous and either thin or somewhat thickened. The margins are entire, though they may occasionally be wavy-crenate on young growth. The reticulate veining is prominent, with the midrib and lateral veins often appearing red. Petioles are relatively short, ranging from 4 to 10 mm, and it does not have stipules. It is dioecious, with unisexual flowers arranged in axillary, racemose inflorescences that are 15–45(–60) mm long and may be glabrous or occasionally glandular puberulent, and rarely reddish pubescent with multicellular hairs. The pedicels are about 5–6 mm long and bracteolate at the base. The calyx is deeply 4–5-lobed, with the lobes being ovate and about 1 mm long, and the sepals are glabrous or rarely reddish pubescent with multicellular hairs. The corolla consists of 4–5 distinct, greenish petals densely punctate and narrowly imbricate in bud. The stamens are slightly more than half as long as the petals and are inserted near the base of the petals, being sterile in pistillate flowers. The ovary is superior, with three ovules in a single row, a short style, and a capitate stigma. Staminate flowers feature a rudimentary ovary. The fruits are dark purple depressed-globose drupes, 7–11 mm in diameter, with a crustaceous endocarp and without a persistent style. Each fruit contains a single subglobose seed. It is found scattered in mesic to occasionally wet forests between 125-1,650 meters.