perceive
[verb]
Synonyms:
- see, behold, discern, discover, espy, make out, note, notice, observe, recognize, spot
- understand, comprehend, gather, grasp, learn, realize, see, suss (out) (slang)

---

Related Words: divine, identify, realize, recognize, grasp, seize, take, apprehend

---

English Thesaurus: notice, detect, spot, become aware/conscious, can tell, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

per‧ceive W3 AC /pəˈsiːv $ pər-/ verb [transitive not in progressive]
[Word Family: noun: perception, perceptiveness; adverb: perceptibly ≠ imperceptibly, perceptively; adjective: perceptible ≠ imperceptible, perceptive; verb: perceive]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: perceivre, from Latin percipere]

1. written to understand or think of something or someone in a particular way ⇒ perception
perceive something/somebody as something
Even as a young woman she had been perceived as a future chief executive.
perceive something/somebody to be something
Often what is perceived to be aggression is simply fear.
Children who do badly in school tests often perceive themselves to be failures.

2. formal to notice, see, or recognize something ⇒ perceptive:
That morning, he perceived a change in Franca’s mood.
Cats are not able to perceive colour.
perceive that
He perceived that there was no other way out of the crisis.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

perceive
verb
ADV. clearly | dimly Babies are weak and vulnerable in the presence of huge shapes that they can only dimly perceive.
directly the world of directly perceived objects
differently Risks are perceived differently by different people.
easily, readily The industrial bias of canal building can be readily perceived by looking at Figure 7.3.
correctly | immediately
VERB + PERCEIVE be able/unable to, can/could | fail to | be difficult to
PREP. as The General's words were perceived as a threat by neighbouring countries.
PHRASES commonly/generally/widely perceived It is widely perceived as a women's health problem, but it does also affect men.
a failure/an inability to perceive sth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

notice to realize that something is there or that something is happening, because you can see, hear, or feel it:
I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.
Children don’t seem to notice the cold.
‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’
detect to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc because it is very small, faint, or unclear. Detect is used about people and machines, and is more formal than notice:
X-ray telescopes can now detect virtually every type of astronomical object.
He thought he detected a flicker of interest in her eyes.
spot to notice something, especially something that is difficult to see or that you see for a short time only. Spot is more informal than notice:
Can you spot the difference between these two pictures?
I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.
become aware/conscious to gradually begin to notice that something is happening or is true:
I became aware that Mum was getting a lot older.
Tessa became conscious of a feeling of guilt.
can tell to be able to notice something because you can see, smell, hear it etc:
I could tell that she had been drinking.
Can you tell I've lost weight?
something/somebody catches your eye used to say that you suddenly notice something or someone because they are interesting, attractive, or good at something:
I saw this shirt in the shop window and it just caught my eye.
Clarke caught the eye of boss Bryan Robson when he scored for Newry last week.
observe formal to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely:
Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive in smaller cages.
perceive formal to notice something, especially that something is happening, or is true, or needs to be done:
The company quickly perceived the need for change.
Doctors perceive that they do not have adequate time to spend with their patients.
witness to see something happen because you are there at the time:
People have witnessed some great economic changes during the last ten years.
miss to not notice something because it is difficult to see:
It’s easy to miss the entrance – the sign is hidden behind a tree.
take notice (=pay attention to something)
I began to take notice when the subject of money came up.
take no notice/not take any notice (=ignore something or someone)
The other passengers took no notice of what was happening.
come to sb’s notice (=be noticed by someone)
This problem first came to our notice last summer.
escape sb’s notice (=not be noticed by someone)
It had not escaped his notice that Phil seemed interested in Jean.
bring something to sb’s notice (=tell someone about something)
It has been brought to my notice that employees are smoking in the restrooms.
attract notice (=be noticed by other people)
She didn’t want to attract notice, so she dressed very plainly.
give notice
To withdraw money from this type of savings account, you must give the bank 30 days’ notice.
serve notice formal (=warn someone about something)
They have served notice that they intend to take legal action against the company.
have/receive notice
If I’d had more notice, I could have done a better job.
need notice (also require notice formal)
The company requires a month’s notice of any holiday time you would like to take.
advance notice (also prior notice formal) (=given before an event)
We had no advance notice of the attack.
reasonable notice (=an amount that is considered to be fair to everyone)
Did you receive reasonable notice of the court case?
ten days’/three months’/five minutes’ etc notice
His contract said he must give three months’ notice if he decides to leave the job.
no notice
We received no notice of the changes.
at short notice (=without much time to prepare)
Thank you for coming to help at such short notice.
at a moment’s notice (=very quickly)
He’d be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
without notice
Trains may be cancelled without notice.
until further notice (=from now until you are told something else)
On the door was a sign: ‘Library closed until further notice’.
notice to quit British English (=a warning that you must leave the house or flat where you live by a particular date)
The new owner gave all the tenants notice to quit.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The hotel has a view of the Colosseum.
There are great views of the Himalayas.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
From the top, there is a breathtaking panorama across to the southern slopes of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain.
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
On a sparkling spring day, the vista is quite superb.
In front, a simple porch offered a spectacular vista of coconut-fringed beach, lagoon, and open sea beyond.
scene what you see in a place, especially when people are moving around and doing things:
His paintings are mainly of local scenes.
a peaceful village scene
sight something that you see, especially something very impressive or surprising:
The mountain is a magnificent sight, soaring up from the carpet of purple heather at its base.
It was an amazing sight. I had never seen elephants in the wild before.
They were met with the sight of riot police shaking hands with the demonstrators.
consider verb [transitive not in progressive] formal to have an opinion about someone or something after thinking carefully about them:
We do not consider this film suitable for young children.
She is considered to be one of the finest pianists of her generation.
see verb [transitive not in progressive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing:
Having a child makes you see things differently.
America was seen as the land of opportunity.
The country sees itself as a bridge between East and West.
regard/view verb [transitive] to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing. Regard/view are a little more formal than see:
She regards herself more as an entertainer than a singer.
Many people in the industry viewed him with suspicion.
perceive verb [transitive often passive] formal to think about someone or something in a particular way, or as being a particular kind of person or thing:
Historically, nursing has been perceived as a job for women, but things have changed now.
The group were perceived to have little real talent.
Do other people perceive us as we perceive ourselves?
think of somebody/something as (also look on somebody/something as) to think that someone or something is a particular type of person or thing:
He looked on his job as a welcome relief from the problems at home.
Even though he’s 18, his parents still think of him as a child.
I think of her more as a sister.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲