discover
Americanverb (used with object)
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discovers,
present (3rd person singular)
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discovered,
past participle, past
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discovering
present participle
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to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of (something previously unseen or unknown).
to discover America;
to discover electricity.
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to notice or realize.
I discovered I didn't have my credit card with me when I went to pay my bill.
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Archaic. to make known; reveal; disclose.
verb
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to be the first to find or find out about
Fleming discovered penicillin
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to learn about or encounter for the first time; realize
she discovered the pleasures of wine
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to find after study or search
I discovered a leak in the tank
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to reveal or make known
Usage
What are other ways to say discover? To discover something is to see, get knowledge of, or find it. How does discover differ from learn, ascertain, and detect? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Synonym Usage
Discover, invent, originate suggest bringing to light something previously unknown. To discover may be to find something that had previously existed but had hitherto been unknown: to discover a new electricity; it may also refer to devising a new use for something already known: to discover how to make synthetic rubber. To invent is to make or create something new, especially something ingeniously devised to perform mechanical operations: to invent a device for detecting radioactivity. To originate is to begin something new, especially new ideas, methods, etc.: to originate a political movement, the use of assembly-line techniques.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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discoverernoun
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prediscoververb (used with object)
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rediscoververb (used with object)
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discoverableadjective
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nondiscoverableadjective
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undiscoverableadjective
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undiscoveredadjective
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discoverablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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discoversimple
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discoverssimple
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have discoveredperfect
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has discoveredperfect
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am discoveringprogressive
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are discoveringprogressive
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is discoveringprogressive
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have been discoveringperfect progressive
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has been discoveringperfect progressive
Past
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discoveredsimple
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had discoveredperfect
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was discoveringprogressive
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were discoveringprogressive
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had been discoveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discover
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English discouere(n), descuvere(n), from Anglo-French discoverir, descovrir, from Old French descovrir, descuvrir, from Late Latin discooperīre “to disclose, expose”; see origin at dis- 1, cover
Explanation
If you discover something, you find it unexpectedly, like when you discover your favorite childhood stuffed animal in a box of old junk. When you discover something, it can be by surprise or the result of a search. You might discover the fact that your dad used to travel with the circus as a trapeze artist or discover a band none of your friends ever heard of. Scientists often discover new substances, stars, or organisms. The Latin root discooperire, "uncover," combines the prefix dis-, or "opposite of," with cooperire, "to cover up."
Vocabulary lists containing discover
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"Return to Titanic" and "Talking with Robert Ballard"
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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:
The size of her crowds has ballooned over the past 12 months, and when listeners discover her tracks, they often cling to them like a raft in a storm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Once Roman begins science operations, researchers expect it to discover thousands of exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Royal Mint says shoppers and collectors should discover the coins, which were minted and dated in 2023 and 2026, across the country.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
A president whose best friends are the people who need him might one day discover that they no longer do.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Mudd feared the authorities would discover some of his secrets very soon.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
So when he discovers Jake is missing, Tom feels guilty as well as frantic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
In addition to “Hexed,” a magical coming-of-age adventure about a young girl named Billie who discovers she’s a witch that will hit theaters Nov. 25, Disney Animation announced “Clay” for 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
"It's the product of years of work by a dedicated, international team of astronomers. We're excited to share DR20 with the world and see what the community discovers with it."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
His existence is upended by a visit from an eccentric young man he discovers lurking outside his apartment in New York’s West Village.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
She’ll be in for a nasty surprise when she discovers that Mother has followed her lead.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
The BBC has also discovered that ministers have not carried out an environmental assessment on the impact of their "Delivering AI growth zones strategy, external".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
I tried it recently in my neighborhood supermarket and discovered, phone in hand, that a package of Earthbound Farm broccoli florets had a Taylor Farms connection I would otherwise never have known about.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Danielle Smith, a union leader, discovered clowning after falling down an internet rabbit hole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The evidence for another forgotten ruler comes from a stela discovered in 1894 at Tell 'Abta, Iraq.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
I did not want to imagine what would happen if her true identity were discovered by these bloodthirsty conspirators.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Although many fans have their hearts set on a single, high-demand Olympic event, others might be open to discovering different sports during the Paralympics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Some 56% of its beauty and personal care shoppers are Gen Z, with 70% of them discovering the products they buy through social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
There is a great sadness in this book and also the occasional miraculous story of couples finding each other or of parents discovering a child who survived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Some bars, Infante noted, are already experimenting with lower-priced cocktails and expanded happy hours after discovering there may simply be a ceiling to what customers will pay for a drink.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
I like looking up, discovering eagles’ nests wedged between branches.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
