Synonyms for see

verb

  1. To perceive with the eye

    observe, look at, behold, descry, examine, inspect, regard, espy, view, look out on, gaze, stare, eye, lay eyes on, mark, perceive, pay attention to, heed, mind, detect, notice, take notice, discern, scrutinize, scan, spy, survey, contemplate, remark, clap eyes on, be apprized of, make out, cast the eyes on, direct the eyes, catch sight of, cast the eyes over, get a load of*.

  2. To understand

    perceive, comprehend, discern; see recognize 1, understand 1.

  3. To witness

    look on, be present, pay attention, notice, observe, regard, heed; see also witness.

  4. *To accompany

    escort, attend, bear company; see accompany 1.

  5. *To equal, especially to equal a bet in poker

    meet a bet, cover a bet, match a wager; see equal.

  6. To have an appointment (with)

    speak to, speak with, have a conference with, get advice from; see consult, discuss.

see, the most simple and direct of these terms, is the basic term for the use of the organs of sight; behold implies a directing of the eyes on something and holding it in view, usually stressing the strong impression made he never beheld a sight more beautiful; espy and descry both imply a catching sight of with some effort, espy suggesting the detection of that which is small, partly hidden, etc. he espied the snake crawling through the grass and descry the making out of something from a distance or through darkness, mist, etc. he descried the distant steeple; view implies a seeing or looking at what lies before one with a defined purpose or perspective the jury viewed the evidence

See see in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II


verb
  1. To apprehend (images) by use of the eyes:

    behold, perceive. (Scots) ken. See see
  2. To perceive with a special effort of the senses or the mind:

    descry, detect, discern, distinguish, mark, mind, note, notice, observe, remark. See knowledge, see
  3. To form mental images of:

    conceive, envisage, envision, fancy, fantasize, image, imagine, picture, think, vision, visualize. (Informal) feature. See thoughts
  4. To perceive and recognize the meaning of:

    accept, apprehend, catch (on), compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, grasp, make out, read, sense, take, take in, understand. (Informal) savvy. (Slang) dig. (Chiefly British) twig. (Scots) ken. Idioms: get (or have) a handle on, get the picture. See understand
  5. To look upon in a particular way:

    account, consider, deem, esteem, reckon, regard, view. See perspective
  6. To know in advance:

    anticipate, divine, envision, foreknow, foresee. See foresight, see
  7. To participate in or partake of personally:

    experience, feel, go through, have, know, meet1 (with), suffer, taste (of), undergo. (Archaic) prove. Idiom: run up against. See participate
  8. To be with another person socially on a regular basis:

    date, go out. (Informal) take out. See connect
  9. To go to or seek out the company of in order to socialize:

    call, come by, come over, drop by, drop in, look in, look up, pop in, run in, stop (by or in), visit. Idiom: pay a visit. See seek
phrasal verb
see to

To have the care and supervision of:

attend, care for, look after, mind, minister to, tend2, watch. Idioms: keep an eye on, look out for, take care (or charge) of, take under one's wing. See care for

See see in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms

see 1behold note notice remark espy descry observe contemplate survey view perceive discern 

These verbs refer to being or becoming visually or mentally aware of something. See, the most general, can mean merely to use the faculty of sight but more often implies recognition, understanding, or appreciation: “If I have seen further (than … Descartes) it is by standing upon the shoulders of Giants” (Isaac Newton).
Behold implies gazing at or looking intently upon what is seen: “My heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky” (William Wordsworth).
Note, notice, and remark suggest close, detailed observation, and note in particular implies making a careful, systematic mental recording: Be careful to note that we turn left at the church. I notice that you're out of sorts. “Their assemblies afforded me daily opportunities of remarking characters and manners” (Samuel Johnson).
Espy and descry both stress acuteness of sight that permits the detection of something distant or obscure: “espied the misspelled Latin word in [the] letter” (Los Angeles Times). “the lighthouse, which can be descried from a distance” (Michael Strauss).
Observe emphasizes careful, closely directed attention: “I saw the pots … and observed that they did not crack at all” (Daniel Defoe).
Contemplate implies looking attentively and thoughtfully: “It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants” (Charles Darwin).
Survey stresses comprehensive examination: “Strickland looked away and idly surveyed the ceiling” (W. Somerset Maugham).
View usually suggests examination with a particular purpose in mind or in a special way: The medical examiner viewed the victim's body.
Perceive and discern both imply not only visual recognition but also mental comprehension; perceive is especially associated with insight, and discern, with the ability to distinguish, discriminate, and make judgments: “I plainly perceive [that] some objections remain” (Edmund Burke). “Your sense of humor would discern the hollowness beneath all the pomp and ceremony” (Edna Ferber).

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