Synonyms

realize

American

[ree-uh-lahyz] / ˈri əˌlaɪz /

especially British, realise

verb (used with object)

to grasp or understand clearly.

Synonyms:

comprehend, conceive

Antonyms:

misunderstand
to make real; give reality to (a hope, fear, plan, etc.).

Synonyms:

effect, accomplish
to bring vividly to the mind.
to convert into cash or money.

to realize securities.
to obtain as a profit or income for oneself by trade, labor, or investment.
to bring as proceeds, as from a sale.

The goods realized $1000.
Music. to sight-read on a keyboard instrument or write out in notation the full harmony and ornamentation indicated by (a figured bass).
Linguistics. to serve as an instance, representation, or embodiment of (an abstract linguistic element or category).

In “Jack tripped,” the subject is realized by “Jack,” the predicate by “tripped,” and the past tense by “-ed.”

verb (used without object)

to convert property or goods into cash or money.

realize British

/ ˈrɪəˌlaɪz /

verb

(when tr, may take a clause as object) to become conscious or aware of (something)
(tr, often passive) to bring (a plan, ambition, etc) to fruition; make actual or concrete
(tr) to give (something, such as a drama or film) the appearance of reality
(tr) (of goods, property, etc) to sell for or make (a certain sum)

this table realized £800
(tr) to convert (property or goods) into cash
(tr)
1. to expand or complete (a thorough-bass part in a piece of baroque music) by supplying the harmonies indicated in the figured bass
2. to reconstruct (a composition) from an incomplete set of parts
to sound or utter (a phoneme or other speech sound) in actual speech; articulate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See imagine.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of realize

First recorded in 1605–15; from French réaliser, Middle French, equivalent to real real ¹ + -iser -ize

Explanation

When you realize something, you become fully aware of what is happening, like when you realize all the people in your basement who are smiling at you and starting to sing to you are there because it's your birthday. Surprise! Realize usually describes the moment your thoughts click, like the moment you close the door behind you, you realize you don't have your keys. You are locked out! So you knock on your neighbor's door. You realize, here meaning that you are fully aware, that she might not appreciate having to help you because she's trying to leave for work. You tell her your new goal is to be more organized. She says, until you realize, or reach, that goal, you better hide an extra key somewhere in your yard.

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Vocabulary lists containing realize

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

realize realizes realized realizing

There’s a world where A.I.-assisted short films could improve in quality and possibly inspire less-recognized creatives to realize their ambitions.

From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026

I realize I’m probably giving Gluck and screenwriter Travis Braun too much credit when I say these are the kinds of questions they wanted viewers to ask.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

I realize that’s a heavy way to wrap up the week, so let’s shift gears.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

You have to realize: Being arrested isn’t just about the inconvenience of being incarcerated — it’s that now you’re in the system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

As I walk I realize that this street seems familiar not only because it reminds me of France but because I have been on it before, just a few days ago, with Theo.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Almost always, when she revisits it the next day, she realizes she doesn’t need any of the stuff she was so excited about the day before.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

There comes a point at which a woman realizes she’s a lot closer in age to Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give” than Amanda Peet, and she’s OK with that.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Goodwin herself is steeped in retirement-planning knowledge and feels prepared — but realizes it’s still very precarious out there for women.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

But she quickly realizes that their memories of the man are far from perfect.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

The cold of the snow is palpable, though she realizes her dress is no longer wet from the rain.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Especially when I realized that what was in the bowl had begun as a five-item farmers market haul, helped along by a few things I already had at home.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

That world will not be realized on the Fairground.

From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026

Erin Oveissi, a fashion consultant in Greenwich, Conn., realized her younger daughter had camp then.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

I knew I’d never again want to put someone I loved in the position of having to go through an extensive legal process simply because we realized we weren’t each other’s person.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

It took me almost the whole day before I realized I wasn’t sweating like I had nearly every day since school began.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Because we’re realizing you probably shouldn’t put all your proverbial eggs — or both of a city’s most beloved sports teams — in one guy’s basket.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

But the bots hacked real companies, in some cases after realizing they had broken out of a testing environment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

“I unfortunately kind of skipped over that part,” he said, “and I’m realizing how important that is now.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

Season 2 starts with her realizing she’s probably better off free of her mystery prize.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

The itchy, anxious feeling had returned, and Penelope scratched at her arm without even realizing she was doing it.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023