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 Lifestyle creep Another factor for high earners is lifestyle creep—the notion that increasingly luxurious household and discretionary spending quickly becomes perceived as a necessity as their income grows. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 This exposes the gap between improving inflation data and how many households perceive their financial circumstances. — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 Each location generates hundreds of small decisions that determine how customers perceive the brand. — Tushar Mishra, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 People want to be perceived, a lot of people want to be heard. — Josh Zajdman, Vogue, 29 Sep. 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
  • At the Irish Rep, director Ciarán O’Reilly has brought O’Neill’s expressionist howl back for a swift, sturdy, smaller-scale revival that now feels unnervingly on-the-pulse.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Japanese firms and their employees increasingly feel unwelcome and unsafe in China.
    — Anniek Bao,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of feel
Verb
  • The costumers have done a great job of supporting the characters; the soundtrack music, by Oli Julian, is unusual enough to notice without overwhelming the action.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • One of the homeowners noticed damage to a window screen four days later and contacted police.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of notice
Verb
  • If a degree needs to equip students for life outside of college, then a big part of that is understanding what employers are looking for.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to developing better medicines or perfumes, deciphering the mirror images of molecules can help scientists understand the chemical architecture of life, said chemist Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the journal Science.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Data must move quickly enough to close the loop between sensing, inference and action, with immediate inference at the edge and model updates, simulation and fleet-wide learning in centralized systems.
    — Richard Clough, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s blunt talk and status as a celebrity businessman initially helped him around Dayton, where voters sensed that politics as usual had failed them.
    — Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sense
Verb
  • But the argument for Oura’s valuation depends on whether or not investors are seeing it as a single-product hardware maker or something bigger and more expansion potential.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Audiences unaware that Altman is gay might pick up on subtle hints in Garfield’s performance, before Musk jokes about it during a dinner scene or a boyfriend is finally seen well into the film.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of see
Verb
  • Can the letter writer let sister know her fuss over food and product choices for 4-year-old nephew is hard to watch?
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Speaking of nail-biters, Marisa Berenson, better known for her roles in front of the camera, is in the process of putting together her own movie project.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of know
Verb
  • Audiences and critics alike could smell the fear, and got their knives out.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In my early memories, my grandfather had smelled like carpet cleaner.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of smell
Verb
  • Explore See latest videos, charts and news Members of Bryan’s band were also spotted in matching shirts, according to TMZ, with fan footage of the moment quickly circulating on social media.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Passengers screamed after spotting the co-pilot stabbing the captain, and the flight from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv began a steep dive.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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