diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
index 868ae8bfa41..23bb754f432 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/compiler/compilerOracle.cpp
@@ -617,18 +617,44 @@ static void usage() {
   tty->cr();
   print_commands();
   tty->cr();
-    tty->print_cr("Method patterns has the format:");
-  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method()");
+  tty->print_cr("The <method pattern> has the format '<class>.<method><descriptor>'.");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("For example, the <method pattern>");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method(Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("matches the <method> 'method' in <class> 'package/Class' with <descriptor>");
+  tty->print_cr("'(Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;'");
   tty->cr();
   tty->print_cr("For backward compatibility this form is also allowed:");
-  tty->print_cr("  package.Class::method()");
   tty->cr();
-  tty->print_cr("The signature can be separated by an optional whitespace or comma:");
-  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method ()");
+  tty->print_cr("  package.Class::method(Lpackage.Parameter;)Lpackage.Return;");
   tty->cr();
-  tty->print_cr("The class and method identifier can be used together with leading or");
-  tty->print_cr("trailing *'s for wildcard matching:");
-  tty->print_cr("  *ackage/Clas*.*etho*()");
+  tty->print_cr("A whitespace or comma can optionally separate the <descriptor> from the");
+  tty->print_cr("<method>:");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method (Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;");
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method,(Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("The <class> and <method> accept leading and trailing '*' wildcards");
+  tty->print_cr("matching:");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  *ackage/Clas*.*etho*(Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("The <descriptor> does not support explicit wildcards and");
+  tty->print_cr("always has an implicit trailing wildcard. Therefore,");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method(Lpackage/Parameter;)Lpackage/Return;");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("matches a subset of");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method(Lpackage/Parameter;)");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("which matches a subset of");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("  package/Class.method");
+  tty->cr();
+  tty->print_cr("which matches all possible descriptors.");
   tty->cr();
   tty->print_cr("It is possible to use more than one CompileCommand on the command line:");
   tty->print_cr("  -XX:CompileCommand=exclude,java/*.* -XX:CompileCommand=log,java*.*");