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

The Eden Prairie, Minn., company said it expects to realize about $300 million of net run-rate cost synergies within two years of closing, slated for the first half of 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

However, people also realize the foundation for bonds now looks different from four years ago, she said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

“This happens because the stocks fall on the initial announcement of an investigation and rise once investors realize that Congress is not unified or there is no imminent credible government action,” they said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

It was a sobering rejection, and made me realize that finding an adviser isn’t like hiring a contractor who actively bids for your business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Miss Genovese asks, nervously chuckling, and only then do I realize her own voice has a weird quality to it, strained and overly cheerful.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

It’s Juniper’s chance to establish herself as an adult actor and Kai’s first foray into the spotlight, a position he quickly realizes doesn’t come without a personal cost.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

“Every Republican I’m aware of realizes this year requires a full commitment, in terms of time, effort, resources,” Mackowack said.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

But there is a piece of him that realizes he probably can’t exist anymore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Mr. Gill looks back at that 1992 interview and others and realizes that the Jeff Beck he thought he knew is a mystery, a self-contradicting trickster with a tendency to be witty and evasive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

She realizes that she didn’t hear Grandpa Ed come in last night.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

I realized putting out a project as a label head and allowing artists to share their vision versus how I would do things are two different worlds even under Soulection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

As they researched the market, they realized there was an opening at the very top end.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

“I was 26 years old and realized I didn’t know if I was ever going to work as an actor again,” Valderrama says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

BANGKOK—Locked in an office at a police station in Yangon, the economic capital of war-torn Myanmar, Adam Castillo realized he wasn’t entirely out of luck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

It was only when he pushed the note into my palm as he handed the bicycle to me that I realized this wasn’t a gift from him at all.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Any coach who says “I don’t want to know” where a transfer lives to escape accountability might want to start realizing an entire program can go down when they abdicate responsibility.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

In one instance, we filmed by drone an Iranian captain with his crew hastily fleeing inside the ship’s structure after realizing that our team was capturing his image via drone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

He actually uses his reservations, but you can imagine people using agents to hoard tables, or the human user not realizing the agent booked a table and the restaurant being stuck with a no-show.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Maybe the answer is waking up and realizing you don’t have to hit the drive-thru for breakfast.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

With these waves, I could easily end up going in circles and find myself back at the boat without even realizing.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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