realize
[verb]
Synonyms:
- become aware of, comprehend, get the message, grasp, take in, understand
- achieve, accomplish, carry out or through, complete, do, effect, fulfil, perform

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English Thesaurus: realize, become aware, dawn on somebody, sink in, hit, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

rea‧lize S1 W1 (also realise British English) /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ verb [transitive not usually in progressive]
[Word Family: noun: realism, realist, reality, unreality, realization; adverb: real, really, realistically ≠ unrealistically; adjective: real, unreal, realistic ≠ unrealistic; verb: realize]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: réaliser, from Old French real; ⇒ real¹]

1. UNDERSTAND to know and understand something, or suddenly begin to understand it
realize (that)
I suddenly realized that the boy was crying.
Do you realize you’re an hour late?
realize who/what/how etc
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize who you were.
It took us a while to realize the extent of the tragedy.
It was only later that I realized my mistake.
► Do not say that you ‘realize about/of something’. Say that you realize something.

2. ACHIEVE formal to achieve something that you were hoping to achieve:
She never realized her ambition of winning an Olympic gold medal.
a young singer who has not yet realized her full potential (=achieved as much as she can achieve)

3. sb’s worst fears were realized used to say that the thing that you were most afraid of has actually happened:
His worst fears were realized when he heard that Chris had been arrested.

4. MONEY
a) formal to obtain or earn an amount of money:
The campaign realized $5000.
We realized a small profit on the sale of the house.
b) realize an asset technical to change something that you own into money by selling it

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

realize
verb
ADV. fully | dimly She dimly realized that she was trembling.
suddenly | quickly, soon | now | for the first time I realized for the first time how difficult this would be.
at first The situation was more complicated than they had at first realized.
at last, belatedly, eventually, finally | never I never realized how much it meant to you.
VERB + REALIZE begin to, come to | make sb The experience made me realize that people did care.
seem to You don't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation.
fail to | be important to
PHRASES without realizing (sth) We are constantly using historic buildings, without even realizing it.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

realize
verb
1.
BAD: The criminal mind is not always easy to realize.
GOOD: The criminal mind is not always easy to understand.
BAD: I didn't realize the meaning of 'junk mail'.
GOOD: I didn't understand the meaning of 'junk mail'.

Usage Note:
KNOW · REALIZE · RECOGNIZE · UNDERSTAND
Know be aware of a fact or particular piece of information: ‘Do you know their new telephone number?’ ‘I know she’s fond of you. She told me so herself.’
Realize suddenly become aware of a fact or the true meaning of something, especially because you have though about it or received new information about it: ‘I suddenly realized that the thumping I could hear was the sound of my own heart.’ ‘It was only when I saw the expression on the doctor’s face that I realized the seriousness of her illness.’
Recognize know what something is because you have seen/heard/smelled it before; know who someone is because you have seen them before: ‘I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you - you’ve had your hair cut!’
Understand know what something means, what causes something, how something operates, how someone feels etc: ‘I’ve never really understood physics.’ ‘Such behaviour is very difficult to understand.’

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2.
BAD: The school year is divided into three terms, as you realize.
GOOD: The school year is divided into three terms, as you know.
BAD: Nobody realized whether he was coming.
GOOD: Nobody knew whether he was coming.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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3.
BAD: Our own mistakes are sometimes difficult to realize.
GOOD: Our own mistakes are sometimes difficult to recognize.
BAD: I'm sure you will realize the song when you hear it.
GOOD: I'm sure you will recognize the song when you hear it.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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4.
BAD: The headmaster realized his threat and sent the children home.
GOOD: The headmaster carried out his threat and sent the children home.
BAD: Many people in developing countries do not realize family planning.
GOOD: Many people in developing countries do not practise family planning.

Usage Note:
When realize means 'make something actually happen or become real', it is usually used with words such as ambition, intention, expectation, hope, dream, fear : 'I feel confident that the high expectations I have of my new job will be realized.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

realize to begin to understand, notice, or know something that you did not understand etc before:
I hadn’t realized that Ben was his brother.
She suddenly realized who the man in the photograph was.
become aware to gradually realize that something is happening or is true, over a period of time:
He slowly became aware that he was not alone
People are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of cars on the environment.
dawn on somebody if something dawns on you, you realize it for the first time – often used in the phrase it dawned on somebody:
It dawned on me that he could be lying.
It only dawned on her that she was in danger when she saw rescue workers running away from the building.
He thought about the dream for a long time before its meaning began to dawn on him.
sink in if something sinks in, you begin to realize its full meaning or importance, especially gradually:
It took a few minutes for the doctor’s words to sink in.
The reality of what I had done slowly began to sink in.
hit if a fact hits you, you suddenly understand it and how important it is:
It hit me one day that he didn’t care. He’d talk when I phoned him, but he’d never call me.
strike if an idea or thought strikes you, you suddenly think of it:
It suddenly struck her what a risk she was taking.
A thought has just struck me - there must be other people with the same problem.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲