perceive

verb

pər-ˈsēv How to pronounce perceive (audio)
Definition of perceivenext
1
as in to feel
to have a vague awareness of I thought I perceived a problem, but I wasn't sure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to notice
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes perceived that it was going to be a nice day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of I perceive your point, but I still disagree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perceive But Haiti’s nine-member Provisional Electoral Council must determine the minimum conditions necessary to ensure that the vote is perceived as legitimate and representative given gang control of many areas. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 This dynamic is most visible in races that are not perceived to be competitive. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026 Communications should not only tell the company’s story, but also continuously close the gap between how the company wants to be known and how stakeholders actually perceive it. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Political and legal debates date back to ancient Rome and have been a key part of our nation, beginning with Lincoln-Douglas, yet experts say, sadly, are no longer perceived as necessary. — Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for perceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perceive
  1. feel
  2. notice
  3. understand
  4. sense
  5. see
  6. know
  7. smell
  8. spot
Verb
  • These sounds are strange bedfellows, but the delirium rarely feels indulgent or trivial.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Kurt's key takeaways What concerns me about this particular scam is how routine the email feels.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of feel
Verb
  • Senior lineman/tight end Zavion Brown has noticed Litke’s growth.
    — Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As petrified parents filed into the warehouse-like church nestled in a strip mall and took seats on folding chairs, Michelle noticed a woman near the front, sitting alone.
    — Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of notice
Verb
  • Weiss-Wolf’s advice emphasizes understanding your options and advocating for better health care, while recognizing that disclosing symptoms or requesting an accommodation can carry risks.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Reynolds understood how to sell the new pen, too, with advertisements promising an avant-garde writing utensil, capable of enduring long stretches of writing with no need to replenish the ink.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • According to a one-year analysis of data collected from San Francisco’s 33 camera locations and other traffic-sensing equipment, excessive speeding — more than 10 mph above the speed limit — dropped nearly 80%.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Over weeks 4–8, develop an enterprise-wide risk-sensing and recommendation model.
    — Santanu Boral, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of sense
Verb
  • The attacks, which saw 1,195 people killed and 251 taken into Gaza as hostages, triggered a major security crisis that led to three years of war on multiple fronts.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The offense had a healthy-enough balance with the run game (more on that in a bit) to involve multiple pass-catchers, and the trio of leading receivers saw the immediate benefits.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who has worked at a fast-growing company at the edge of technology knows that obligations, circumstances and products change daily.
    — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Officials said hunters should watch for signs of infection, including visible maggots in wounds, foul-smelling injuries and animals that appear weak or distressed.
    — Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • Happy peasants, miserable millionaires Graham first spotted the pattern in China.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The rapper, who turns 40 tomorrow, was spotted heading to an early birthday dinner at Mamo restaurant in New York City, dressed in a look that wouldn’t have been entirely out of place in Moss’s or Miller’s mid-aughts wardrobe.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of spot

Browse Nearby Words

perceivable
perceive
perceived
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Perceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perceive. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All