英语词汇“find”的英英意思、用法、释义、翻译、读音、例句、短语、词组-英语词典

MENU FOR findfind1 get by searching2 see by chance3 discover state of somebody/something4 do something without meaning to5 learn something by study6 think/feel7 experience8 exist in a place9 get enough money/time etc10 in a court of law11 find your way (somewhere)12 find its way somewhere13 find comfort/pleasure/fulfilment etc in something14 find fault with somebody/something15 find it in your heart/yourself to do something16 find yourself17 find favour (with somebody/something)18 find your feet19 find its mark/target20 find your voice21 be found wantingPhrasal verbsfind against somebodyfind for somebodyfind out

WORD ORIGINfind1

Origin:

Old English findan

VERB TABLE

find

Simple Form
Present	I, you, we, they	find
	he, she, it	finds
Past	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	found
Present perfect	I, you, we, they	have found
	he, she, it	has found
Past perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had found
Future	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will find
Future perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have found

Continuous Form
Present	I	am finding
	he, she, it	is finding
	you, we, they	are finding
Past	I, he, she, it	was finding
	you, we, they	were finding
Present perfect	I, you, we, they	have been finding
	he, she, it	has been finding
Past perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had been finding
Future	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will be finding
Future perfect	I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have been finding

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES

Bodies up to 2,000 years old have been found buried in the peat bogs of central England.
Did you manage to find the house without too much trouble?
Have you found your passport yet?
He wasn't surprised to find the marsh blanketed in a thick fog.
I'd love to learn a foreign language, but I can't find the time right now.
I've looked everywhere, but I can't find my sunglasses.
I found a wallet full of cash and credit cards in the parking lot.
I have a better chance of winning the lottery than of finding a man to marry.
I haven't found the time to read Morrison's latest novel yet.
I really need to find a better job.
If I can find the money, I'll come to the theatre with you.
It's crucial that we find cleaner ways of generating electricity.
It took us half an hour to find somewhere to park.
Jenny found an apartment in Brooklyn.
Luis was gone, and she had no way of ever finding him again.
Medical researchers are determined to find a cure for cancer.
Researchers found that smokers were more likely to get depressed than non-smokers.
Scientists still haven't found a cure for AIDS.
The Blue Moon is easy to find: Get off Highway 78 at 23rd Avenue and go right.
The murder weapon was found outside the house.

EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS

In a recent survey, the IoD found that 43% of its female members were childless.
One day in January 1950, following a presidential speech, the two found themselves in the same Capitol elevator.
She said she found it shocking that low-level aides in the Clinton White House were allowed to handle such sensitive documents.
We try to find suppliers who still make these things.
With over 30 million subscribers, the main problem is finding a username you might want.
Your goal is to understand these natural tendencies and use your understanding to help her find better ways to cope.
Zen made no attempt to find out what was showing.

THESAURUS► find

to get or see something that you have been searching for: · Have you found your passport yet?· Police later found the car abandoned in a wood.

► discover

to find something that was hidden or that people did not know about before: · A second bomb has been discovered in south London.

► locate

formal to find the exact position of something: · The airline are still trying to locate my luggage.· Online maps make it easy to locate almost any place in the world.

► come across something

to find something unexpectedly when you are not looking for it: · I came across some old letters from my father in my drawer.

► stumble on/across something

to find something unexpectedly, especially something very important: · They may have stumbled across some vital evidence.· Completely by chance we had stumbled on the biggest hit of the year.

► trace

to find someone or something that has disappeared, especially by a careful process of collecting information: · She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter.

► track somebody/something down

to find someone or something that is difficult to find by searching in different places: · I’ve been trying to track down a book that’s out of print.· The police managed to track down the killer.

► unearth

to find something that has been hidden or lost for a long time, by digging or searching for it: · In 1796, a carved stone was unearthed near the burial mound.

Longman Language Activatorto find someone or something that is lost► find

to find someone or something that you have lost: · I've looked everywhere, but I can't find my sunglasses.· Have you found your passport yet?· The murder weapon was found outside the house.· Luis was gone, and she had no way of ever finding him again.

► turn up

if something that is lost turns up , someone finds it later in a place where they did not expect it to be: · Don't worry about your earrings - I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later.· Have those files turned up yet?

► trace

to find someone or something by a careful process of asking a lot of people for information: · Police are trying to trace a red van, which several witnesses reported seeing near the scene of the crime.· The cash was eventually traced to a prominent Paris lawyer.· Philips hired a private detective to trace his daughter, who had been missing for two months.

► track down

to find someone or something that is difficult to find, by searching or by making inquiries in several different places: track down somebody/something: · The police have had a difficult time tracking down Corbin.· I have copies of the documents but haven't managed to track down the originals.· The president vowed to track down those responsible for the bombing.track somebody/something down: · It took Alvin quite a while to track her down, but he eventually found her.

to find something you need or want► find

to find something that you need, such as a job or a place to live: · I really need to find a better job.· It took us half an hour to find somewhere to park.· Jenny found an apartment in Brooklyn.

► locate

formal or written to find out where something is - used especially in official or technical contexts: · Investigators searched through the plane's wreckage for several hours before locating the flight recorder.· If you have difficulty locating a particular book, please ask one of the librarians for assistance.

► dig out

especially British to find something you have not seen for a long time, or that may not be easy to find, especially in order to give it to someone who has asked for it: dig out something: · It seems like every time Grandma comes over we have to dig out the family photos.· I took the opportunity to dig out a few facts and figures about this remote island.dig something/it/them out: · I have her address somewhere -- I'll dig it out for you when I get time.

difficult to find► be difficult to find/hard to find

if someone or something that you need is difficult to find or hard to find , you cannot easily find them because there are not many of them or they are well hidden: · Taxis are hard to find at that time of night.· What we wanted was a house with a big garden -- something that was difficult to find in the middle of a city.

► elusive

an elusive person or animal is difficult to find, often because they do not want to be found: · The gray fox is a very shy elusive creature.· A cure for the disease has proven to be elusive.· We repeatedly tried to contact the manager, an elusive man who was never in his office.

to find a place you are trying to get to► find

to find a place that you are trying to go to: · Did you manage to find the house without too much trouble?be easy to find: · The Blue Moon is easy to find: get off Highway 78 at 23rd Avenue and go right.

► find your way

to get to a place by finding the right way to go: · I couldn't find my way out of the building.find your way to: · It was my first visit to New York, but I managed to find my way to their apartment without any problem.find your own way (=find your way without anyone's help): · Thanks, it's not necessary for you to get up. I can find my own way out.

to find something new and important► find

to find something important that no one knew about before, especially information or a way of doing something: · Medical researchers are determined to find a cure for cancer.· It's crucial that we find cleaner ways of generating electricity.· Bodies up to 2,000 years old have been found buried in the peat bogs of central England.

► discover

to find an object, a substance, a place, information etc, that is important and that no one knew about before: · The planet Pluto was discovered in 1930.· Australian researchers have discovered a substance in coffee that acts like morphine.

► make a discovery

to find something important, interesting, or surprising that no one knew about before: · Hawking made many discoveries about the nature of stars.· Carlo Rubbia, who led the team of scientists that made the discovery, received the Nobel prize in 1984.· Amazing discoveries have been made by anthropologists excavating in the Rift Valley.· An important discovery was made by Mendel in the mid-nineteenth century.

► unearth

to find something that was hidden or kept secret for a long time, especially information: · Investigators have unearthed new evidence about the possible cause of the crash.· The incredible story was unearthed by reporters at the "Post".· His research unearthed new information about the origins of the HIV virus.

► turn up

to find something interesting or useful, especially information, while you are searching carefully: · After seven months on the case, the police failed to turn up any real clues.· A thorough examination of the company's account books turned up several interesting facts.

to unexpectedly find something that you were not looking for► find/discover

· We found a lovely seafood restaurant by the harbour.· The body was discovered by a man walking his dog.· It wasn't until I got to university that I discovered poetry.

► come across

to find something unexpectedly when you are not looking for it but are doing something else: · I came across an interesting news item in yesterday's 'Times'.· Digging in the garden, she came across some pieces of bone.

► stumble on/across

to find something by chance and unexpectedly, especially something that was secret or that no one knew before: · The officers stumbled across the drugs when they stopped Moyers for a routine traffic violation.· Fleming was carrying out other research when he stumbled on penicillin.· Some people believe that Jenkins was murdered by government agents because he stumbled across a military secret.

► chance upon/happen upon

written to find a place or thing that you were not deliberately looking for, or meet someone you did not know you would meet, especially when you consider this a good or lucky thing to have happened: · We happened upon a beautiful little hotel about an hour outside of Tours.· I was walking home from the station when I happened upon Richard.· Leafing through a magazine, I chanced upon a photo of an old high school friend, Robert Mason.

something you find► discovery

something important that has been found and that no one knew about before: · Among the discoveries of the late nineteenth century were several new chemical elements, including radium.· New archaeological discoveries prove the existence of an ancient civilization in the Indus Valley.chance discovery (=one that happens by chance): · The chance discovery of a blood-stained shirt led to the capture of the killer.

► be a real find

if someone or something is a real find , you were lucky to find them because they are very good, useful, or interesting: · That little Greek restaurant was a real find.· Last month the club signed on a new player, Nate Tompkins, who has already proved to be a real find.

to arrive somewhere without intending to► end up

/fetch up British to arrive in a place that you did not intend to go to: end up in/at: · I fell asleep on the bus and ended up in Denver.· I thought we were going straight home, but we all ended up at Tom's place.

► come to

to arrive at a place during a journey without knowing that you would arrive there: · We were walking through the woods when we came to a waterfall.· Ian stopped at the next house he came to and asked to use the phone.

► find yourself in/at etc

to realize that you have arrived somewhere without intending to: · After wandering around, we found ourselves back at the hotel.· Sammler opened a big glass door and found himself in an empty lobby.

to be brave enough to do something► be brave enough to do something

· None of the other people were brave enough to stand up to him.· Maybe if you were brave enough to ask her out she'd go to a movie with you.· Anyone brave enough to get this far would then find an electrified fence blocking their way.

► dare

to be brave enough to do something that is dangerous or that you are afraid of doing -- used in questions, negatives, and sentences beginning with 'if': · My sister used to steal things from stores, but I would never dare.not dare (to) do something: · No one dared to go into the old house at night.· She was so high up now that she didn't dare look down.dare do something: · Dare we take this decision without consulting the Prime Minister?

► have the guts to do something

to be brave enough to do something unpleasant or difficult that other people are afraid to do spoken: · I know he made a mistake, but at least he had the guts to admit it!· Sarah's the only one who has the guts to speak her mind.

► have the nerve to do something

to be calm and confident enough to do something that is frightening or dangerous: · Not many people have the nerve to stand up and speak in front of a large audience.· I can't believe he had the nerve to show up at the party after what he said about Janet.

► find/get up/pluck up the courage to do something

to force yourself to be brave and do something that you are afraid of doing, after thinking about it for a long time: · I eventually plucked up the courage to tell my parents that I was going to go and live in Canada.· David loves Julie but he can't get up enough courage to ask her to marry him.

to criticize someone or something unfairly► find fault with

to criticize things that are wrong with someone or something, especially small and unimportant things: · No-one enjoys working for a boss who always finds fault with their work.find fault with somebody for something: · The report found fault with the police department for its handling of the case.

► pick holes in

especially British, informal to criticize small details in someone's ideas or plans - use this about someone who seems to be deliberately looking for problems and mistakes: · As soon as she stopped talking, Janet's colleagues began to pick holes in the idea.

► knock

to criticize someone, their work, or their performance in an unfair and annoying way: · It's hard to knock Gordon because he always works so hard.· Critics knocked his latest film for its portrayal of women.don't knock it!: · Hey, don't knock it! It's the only suit I've got!

► put down

to make someone feel unimportant or stupid especially by criticizing them in public: put down somebody: · Television programs always seem to put down people from the South.put somebody down: · She enjoys putting me down in front of other people.

► slag off

British informal to criticize someone, especially in a nasty and unfair way: slag off somebody: · She spent the whole evening slagging off her ex-boyfriend.slag somebody off: · When the team isn't winning everyone starts slagging them off.

► bitch about

informal to make nasty remarks about someone when that person is not there: · People in our office are always bitching about each other.

► get at

informal to keep criticizing someone by making remarks about their behaviour or habits, especially in an unkind or annoying way: · I try not to take it personally -- he gets at everyone on the team.get at about: · My mother keeps getting at me about the state of my room.

► nit-picking

informal the annoying habit of criticizing someone about unimportant details, especially in someone's work: · I've had enough of your constant nit-picking. Why can't you say something encouraging?

to have problems when you are trying to do something► have difficulty/trouble

if you have difficulty when you are trying to do something, you cannot easily do it: have difficulty/trouble (in) doing something: · It was obvious the patient was having great difficulty breathing.have difficulty/trouble with something: · A lot of Japanese students of English have trouble with the pronunciation of "b's and "v's.

► find something difficult

to not be able to do something easily, especially because you do not have enough ability or skill: · I found the course difficult at first, but it gradually got easier.find it difficult to do something: · She always found it difficult to keep up with the rest of the class.

► with difficulty

if you do something with difficulty , you can do it, but only by using all your strength, all your determination etc: · She spoke with difficulty, choking back her tears.

► have a hard time

to find it difficult to do something, especially because there are unexpected problems or because you have difficulty persuading other people: · I tried to find the house but I had such a hard time, I decided to give up.have a hard time doing something: · I'm still having a hard time getting the company to pay me.

► can hardly/barely

if you can hardly or can barely do something, especially something physical, it is so difficult that you almost cannot do it: · By the end of the day she could hardly walk.· The smell was so bad that I could barely force myself to stay in the room.

► be too much for somebody

if a situation or job is too much for someone , it is too difficult for them to deal with: · All the bullying and back-stabbing in the office was simply too much for him.· The job was too much for any single manager to cope with.

► be a struggle

if something is a struggle you have to try very hard and even suffer in order to do it: · Clark lived 112 days on the artificial heart, and each day was a struggle.· She managed to get her money out of the welfare office, but only after a struggle.it is a struggle (for somebody) to do something: · It was a struggle for my mother to understand our lifestyle, but she tried very hard.it is a struggle doing something: · It was a struggle trying to feed a family of five on my salary.

► be hard put to do something/be hard pressed to do something

if you say someone would be hard put or hard pressed to do something, you doubt that they would be able to do it because you think it is too difficult: · The two girls look so similar that you'd be hard put to tell the difference between them.· The governor will be hard pressed to find more money for schools while dealing with a $6 billion budget deficit.

► have your work cut out for you

also have your work cut out informal to have to work very hard if you are going to succeed in doing something: · I'll have my work cut out to get this design finished by this afternoon.· Rice hopes to break the record during tonight's game, but he'll have his work cut out for him.

► be thrown in at the deep end

informal to have to start doing something difficult such as a new job without people making it easier for you because you are new: · When I first started teaching I was really thrown in at the deep end -- I had a class of forty six-year-olds all on my own.

► have a job doing something

British spoken if you have a job doing something , it takes a lot of time or a lot of effort, and you may not be able to do it: · You'll have a job persuading him to give you any more money.· There was some kind of festival going on, and we had a job finding somewhere to park the car.

to find out about something► find out

to get information about something, either by chance or by deliberately trying to get it: · "Do you have these shoes in size 8?" "I'm not sure - I'll just go and find out."· When we found out the price we were shocked.find out what/where/whether etc: · I'll go and find out which platform the train leaves from.· Dad was really mad at me when he found out where I'd been.find out about: · He's trying to find out about Japanese classes in the area.find out something/find something out: · Could you find out his address for me, please?· "John's been married twice." "How did you find that out?"find out (that): · She found out that her husband was having an affair.

► discover

to find something out, especially something that is surprising or something that is difficult to find out. Discover is more formal than find out: · Fire officers are still trying to discover the cause of the fire.discover (that): · I began to learn the guitar, and discovered that I was pretty good at it.· She discovered the job wasn't as easy as it might seem.discover how/why/what etc: · They never discovered who the murderer was.

► see

especially spoken to get the information that you want by going somewhere to look, or by doing something and noticing what happens: · "Is he ready yet?" "I don't know - I'll go and see."see if/whether: · See if the rice is done while you're in the kitchen, will you?see how/where/what etc: · Can you see who's at the door?· Let's see what happens if we add some oil.

► hear

to know about something because someone has told you, you have read about it, seen it on television etc: · "Nina's quit her job." "Yes, so I've heard."hear about: · How did you hear about our company?· We've heard such a lot about you from our daughter.hear (that): · I hear you're moving to Toronto.hear whether/if: · When will you hear whether you've got the job?hear what/why/how etc: · I suppose you've heard what happened?

► be told

to find out about something because someone tells you: be told (that): · He was told that Anna had left some time ago.· Visitors have been told the building will be used as a museum.so I'm told spoken: · "Is it true that she's moving to Hollywood?" "So I'm told."

► find

especially written to find out a fact or find out that something is true, especially by asking questions: find that: · We found that, despite their poverty, very few people wanted to leave the area.· Researchers found that smokers were more likely to get depressed than non-smokers.

► learn

to find out something because someone tells you, you read it somewhere etc: · I doubt if we will ever learn the truth.learn of/about: · She learned of her mother's death when it was announced on the radio.learn (that): · Several months ago, McNair learned that he had cancer.

► gather

to know a piece of information because that is what you hear people saying and not because you have been told it directly: gather (that): · I gather you've decided not to resign after all.· Despite my limited Spanish, I gathered that there was a problem with my passport.from what somebody can gather (=according to what I have found out): · From what I can gather, there has been fighting further down the valley.

► come to somebody's attention/notice

formal if something such as a problem or a mistake comes to someone's attention or notice , that person finds out about it, especially because someone else tells them about it: · Illegal trading first came to the attention of top management in late April.come to sb's attention/notice that: · It has come to my notice that your account is overdrawn by £200.

► hear through/on the grapevine

to find out about something because the information has been passed on from one person to another in conversation: · "How did you find out she was leaving?" "I heard it through the grapevine."hear through/on the grapevine that: · I heard on the grapevine that Josie and Tom are expecting a baby.

to find out information from someone► find out

to find out information from someone by asking them questions or by forcing them to tell you: find out something: · "Did you find out her views on the subject?" "No, she wouldn't tell me."find out what/how/when etc: · He asked me to find out what your plans are after you leave.find something out: · Will you see if you can find anything out about Sandy?

► get something out of

informal to find out a particular piece of information from someone, especially by forcing them to tell you: · Jed admitted he'd been at the scene, but that's all I could get out of him.· We'll get the truth out of her sooner or later.

► get information

to find out something from a person, a book, the Internet etc: · To get more information, telephone or contact us on our website.· You will be able to get most of the information you need from the school library.get information about/on: · I've written to the tourist information centre to get some information about the area.

► extract

formal to find out information from someone who does not want to give it, by asking them questions or by using physical force: · Police questioned the prisoner for several hours, but were unable to extract any further information.extract something from somebody: · The court ruled that her confession had been unlawfully extracted from her.

► worm something out of

to find out information from someone who is unwilling to give it, especially by being clever, making them feel they can trust you etc: · He didn't want to tell me her name but I managed to worm it out of him.

► drag something out of

to get information from someone who does not want to tell you it, especially by asking a lot of questions: · If she doesn't want to tell you, there's no point in trying to drag it out of her.

to find out something new or something that was secret► find out

· He just had to hope he'd get away with it and that nobody would find out.· She doesn't want people to find out her age.· You read her diary? Just make sure she never finds out!find out what/why/how etc · Dad was furious when he found out where I was living.find out about · It's a surprise party, so I don't want her to find out about it.find out (that) · It was three months before my parents found out I'd been going out with Peter.find somebody out (=find out someone's secret) British · It won't work. Someone's bound to find you out eventually.

► uncover/unearth

to find out information that has been deliberately kept secret, especially while you are studying or examining a particular subject: · Detectives have uncovered a plan to smuggle illegal weapons into the country.· Lawyers unearthed evidence that he held several bank accounts.

► dig up

to find out information by searching carefully for it, especially information about someone's past that they have deliberately tried to keep secret: dig something up/dig up something: · I wanted to dig a few more facts up for my article.dig up dirt on somebody (=find out something bad about someone): · Politicians try to dig up dirt on their opponents.dig something up on somebody: · He wanted as much evidence as could be dug up on the girl.

► get at

to find something out, especially the truth about a situation, or facts that someone has tried to hide: · It's hard to get at the facts when people are afraid to speak out.· He was a good reporter, who wanted to get at the truth and present it without bias.

► get wind of

informal to find out about a situation or something that is going to happen, especially when it is supposed to be secret: · Reporters somehow got wind of the fact that Carr was going to be arrested.

► get wise to

informal to find out about something such as a trick or an illegal activity: · The police parked an empty patrol car there to reduce speeding, but drivers got wise to it pretty quickly.

to get something by buying it, asking for it, or finding it► get

· I don't feel like cooking -- let's go get a pizza.· I still haven't gotten a birthday present for Sherri.get something from somebody/something · I got a really nice coat from Hudson's.· We had to get permission from the landlord before painting the apartment.get a job · Did you hear? Stuart got a new job.

► obtain

formal to get something: · Maps and guides can be obtained at the tourist office.obtain something from somebody/something: · Scientists in Brazil are obtaining medicines from plants.

► find

to get the money, time, energy etc that you need to do something: · If I can find the money, I'll come to the theatre with you.· I haven't found the time to read Morrison's latest novel yet.

► acquire

formal to get something very big or expensive, or to get more knowledge or skills: · It took him a long time to acquire the skills he needed to become a professional artist.· The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has recently acquired several paintings by Salvador Dali.

to officially prove that someone is guilty► prove somebody guilty

to prove that someone is guilty of a crime: · Think of all the time they've wasted trying to prove me guilty, while the real killer goes free.innocent until proven guilty (=someone cannot be considered guilty until it is officially proved that they are guilty ): · It is a basic principle of US law, that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

► find somebody guilty/convict

if a court of law finds someone guilty or convicts them, they decide that that person is guilty of a crime: · If the jury finds him guilty he will face a maximum sentence of seven years.· No one has yet been convicted of any of the terrorist attacks.find somebody guilty of something: · The two men were found guilty of the murder and jailed for life.find somebody guilty of doing something: · He was found guilty of supplying drugs.convict somebody of something: · Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence?convict somebody of doing something: · All four men were convicted of illegally bringing drugs into the country.

when a law court decides that someone is innocent► find somebody not guilty

· We find the defendant not guilty, Your Honor.· Despite the large amount of evidence against him, the jury found Gibson not guilty.find sb not guilty of · The two women were found not guilty of drug-trafficking.· It took the jurors less than three hours to find Gessler not guilty of murder.

► acquit

if someone is acquitted by a law court, they are officially told they are not guilty of a crime: · Few observers expect the jury to acquit Mr Hoskins.· His lawyer thought he had a good chance of being acquitted at the trial, if no further evidence was found.acquit somebody of something: · To her relief she was acquitted of all the charges laid against her.

► clear

if you are cleared of a crime, a court of law says that you are innocent, because it is impossible to legally prove that you are guilty: · After Pagones was cleared in court, he sued his accusers.clear somebody of something: · A jury cleared the company of all criminal charges in connection with the accident.· Marshall was given his job back after being cleared of accusations that he abused drugs.

feeling interested in something► interested

if you are interested in something, you give it your attention because you want to know more about it: · The children seemed very interested when I showed them my photographs.· I can't remember the name of the book, but if you're interested I can find out.interested in: · I've never really been interested in politics.· Bob first got interested in motor cycles when he was about sixteen.interested to know/hear/see/learn etc something: · You're an expert on legal problems - I'd be interested to know what you think.· We'd be very interested to hear your opinion about this.

► find something interesting

to feel interested in something because it is the type of thing that you usually like to know more about: · It's a book about travelling round India. I thought you'd find it interesting.find sth interesting to read/watch/hear about etc: · I always find wildlife programmes interesting to watch.

► with interest

especially written if you do something with interest , you do it in a way that shows you are interested: · Richard listened with interest to the conversation at the next table.with great interest: · I read with great interest your article concerning the history of the university.

► interest in something

if there is interest in something, several or a lot of people are interested in it and want to find out more about it: · There has always been a lot of interest in the question of life on other planets.· The Head of Geography said the project was an example of the school's continuing interest in environmental issues.take an interest in something: · I was a teenager when I first took a serious interest in films.· Children with parents who take an interest in their education generally do better at school.

► show/express (an) interest

to say or do something to show that you are interested in something: · If you think you'd like the job, you should at least express an interest.show/express (an) interest in: · Several companies have already expressed interest in our research.· At a few weeks old, most babies are showing an interest in what is going on around them.

► curious

eager to find out more about something because you are interested but do not know much about it: · The visitors were soon surrounded by a crowd of curious children.· I'm not being nosy, I'm just curious.curious about: · People have always been curious about exactly how life on earth began.curious to know/find out/discover etc something: · He was curious to find out why she had left her job so suddenly.

► fascinated

extremely interested in something that you are watching or listening to, especially because it is unusual: · She watched, fascinated, as the bird came closer until she could almost touch it.· The more I heard about him, the more fascinated I became.fascinated by: · I was fascinated by her stories of her childhood in Africa.fascinated to discover/find out/learn etc: · He was fascinated to discover that they had both been born in the same town on the same day.

► have a fascination with/for

to have a very strong and often unusual interest in something: · I've always had this strange fascination with the circus.· Her writing shows a fascination for the darker side of life.

► intrigued

interested by something and eager to know more about it, because it seems mysterious or strange: · "Stop me if I'm boring you." "No, please carry on - I'm intrigued!"· Scientists became intrigued by the rock, which appeared to have come from outer space.intrigued by: · Diana was intrigued by Sue's cryptic message on the answerphone.intrigued to find out/learn/know etc: · I was intrigued to find that she spoke Aramaic.

► be into

British spoken informal to be very interested in a subject or activity, and to spend a lot of time on it because you enjoy it: · Both the kids are into computer games at the moment, and nothing else!be into doing something: · Luke's really into keeping fit - he goes running at 6 o'clock every day.

to look for something or someone that you need or want► look for

to try to find something or someone that you need: · Can you help me? I'm looking for a place to stay.· The company is looking for young, enthusiastic graduates to work in its sales department.· I spent months looking for a job, with no luck.

► try to find

to look for something or someone that you need, especially when it is difficult and takes a long time: · I spent half an hour trying to find a parking space.· Drug companies are trying to find an alternative drug, which will not have such serious side-effects.

► in search of

especially written if you go in search of something that you need, you go somewhere to try to find it: · Many young people move to the cities in search of a better future.

► search for

to spend time trying to find something or someone that you need: · I searched everywhere for a birthday present for Kim, but I found nothing I liked.· I was made redundant last year, and am still searching for a new job.· The school is currently searching for ways to save money.

► look around for

to look in different places or directions, in order to find a suitable person or thing that you need: · He looked around for somewhere to hang the wet towel.· We're always looking around for new products to add to our list.· They're looking around for a decent apartment, not too far from the city.

► seek

formal to try to get or find something you need, for example advice, friendship, or a job: · Economics graduate, aged 25, with business experience, seeks interesting part-time work in the West London area.· If you are at all worried about your symptoms, you should seek medical advice.· The government is seeking support from teachers for its latest education reforms.

► be on the lookout for

informal to be eagerly and continuously looking for something or someone that might be useful to you: · My mother's always on the lookout for a good bargain.· The club is always on the lookout for new young players.· The design department is constantly on the lookout for original ideas.

► hunting

: job/house/bargain etc hunting when you are trying to find or get a job, house etc: · We rented a car and went house-hunting as soon as we arrived.· Job hunting takes a lot of effort and can be a long, depressing process.

► leave no stone unturned

to do everything that you can to find something such as the answer to a problem - used especially in literature: · If a solution can be found, Mr Danby, I shall leave no stone unturned until I have found it.· Union leaders have promised to leave no stone unturned in their search for a way to keep the factory open.

to look for someone or something when you do not know where they are► look for

to try to find something that you have lost, or someone who is not in the place where you expected them to be: · I'm looking for Simon -- have you seen him?· I've been looking everywhere for that key! Where did you find it?

► try to find

to look for someone or something, especially when it is difficult to find them: · Jill was up in the attic trying to find her old school books.· I tried to find Jack to tell him the news, but he wasn't anywhere around.

► have a look

especially spoken to look for someone or something, especially when you do it quickly or when you only look in one place: · "I can't find my shoes." "Have a look in your bedroom."have a look for: · I had a look for Clive but he wasn't in his office.have a quick look: · I'll just have a quick look for that book before we go.have a good look (=look carefully and thoroughly): · We don't have time to find it now - we'll have a good look in the morning.

► search for

to look carefully and thoroughly for someone or something, especially when it is very important that you find them: · Coastguards are still searching for survivors from the ship.· Friends and neighbours joined police officers to search for clues.

► in search of

especially spoken if you go in search of someone or something, you go somewhere in order to find them: go/set off in search of: · She stayed and talked for a while, then went off in search of Flynn.

► hunt

to look urgently and thoroughly for someone or something in every possible place: · Friends and neighbors hunted everywhere, but no-one could find the child.hunt for: · I hunted all morning for the book of photos, but couldn't find it.

to be unable to find someone or something► lose

to be unable to find something, especially because you cannot remember where you put it: · If you lose your credit card, phone this number immediately.· "What are you looking for?" "My purse. I think I might have lost it."· Neil put the certificate in a drawer so he wouldn't lose it.

► can't find

to be unable to find something or someone, especially after you have spent a long time looking for them: · She searched her pockets, but she couldn't find the tickets.· What's happened to Eric? I can't find him anywhere.

► mislay

formal to lose something for a short time, especially because you put it somewhere and then forgot where you put it: · I seem to have temporarily mislaid my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?· If your bank card is lost, mislaid or stolen, call our Card Hotline number.

► loss

formal the fact that you have lost something: · The company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to a passenger's property.the loss of something: · You should report the loss of your passport to the consulate.

when you think something is good enough► satisfied

the way you feel when you think that something is as good as it should be, for example someone's work or something you buy: · I did the whole essay again, but she still wasn't satisfied.· Sussman puffed on his pipe, a satisfied grin on his face.satisfied with: · His boss seems satisfied with his work.· 95% of passengers say they are satisfied with the bus service.satisfied that: · Patients seemed satisfied that the standard of care was adequate.satisfied customer: · A good travel agent knows that a satisfied customer will always come back.

► happy

informal satisfied with what you have achieved: · Pinker stated that he was perfectly happy with the arrangement.happy with: · Doctors said they were happy with how the operation had gone.happy about: · I'd gotten a lot done over the weekend and was happy about that.

► pleased

especially British the way you feel when you think something is very good and you feel very satisfied with it: · Were you pleased when you saw the results?pleased with: · Tom's teacher was pleased with his progress.· "How's your new car?" "It's great - I'm really pleased with it."

► find/consider something satisfactory

to think something is good enough because it is of a high enough standard or it gives you what you need: · A decision was made that both sides found satisfactory.· The new rules will not affect schools that parents consider satisfactory.

to successfully deal with a problem► solve

· They thought money would solve all their problems.· The roof used to leak but last week I fitted some new tiles and that seems to have solved the problem.· The government is to launch a new building programme in an attempt to solve the housing crisis.

► find/come up with a solution

to think of a way to solve a problem, especially a complicated political or social problem: · Crime is rapidly increasing in our inner cities. We must find a solution.· Civil war seems increasingly likely unless the government comes up with a solution.find/come up with a solution to: · European governments are working together to find a solution to the problem of nuclear waste.

► resolve

formal to successfully deal with a problem or unpleasant situation so that it no longer exists: · Talking is the only way to resolve your differences.· It is difficult to see how this conflict can be resolved without taking the matter to court.

► put right

to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially by making sure that any damage that has been caused is paid for, removed, stopped etc: put something right: · There seems to be something wrong with the computer but we hope to put it right before too long.· If there is bullying in the classroom, it is the teacher who should put the problem right.put right something: · This government intends to put right everything that the last government did wrong.

► cure

to permanently solve a practical problem so that it does not happen again: · If your computer stops working, re-booting might cure the problem.· Beveridge believed that unemployment could be cured by state intervention.

► remedy

to deal with an unsatisfactory situation, especially an unfair one, so that the situation no longer exists or is greatly improved: · There have been several tragic rail accidents. The government must act quickly to remedy this situation.· Equal rights for women were necessary to remedy the injustices done to them over the centuries.

► sort out

to remove any problems or difficulties from a situation, especially before doing something else: sort something out: · I'm afraid I can't help you until I've sorted my own problems out.sort things out: · There's been a serious misunderstanding; I'll try to sort things out and then I'll phone you back.sort out something: · You can't possibly start decorating yet. We haven't sorted out the roof yet.get something sorted out: · I want to get everything sorted out before I leave.

► sort

British informal to successfully deal with a problem: · Don't worry about the money. I'll sort it, OK?· You should be able to sort this without my help.

► iron out

to remove any small problems or difficulties before you start something, especially by discussing them, so that they do not cause problems later: iron something out: · We need to iron a few things out before we move in together.iron out something: · We decided it was best to iron out our differences at an early stage in the production.

to find the answer or explanation to something► solve

to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery: · The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.· At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.· These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.

► figure out/work out

to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you: figure out/work out how/why/what etc: · My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven't figured out how it works.· From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night.figure/work out something: · The police haven't even managed to figure out a motive.figure/work something out: · Don't tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself.

► find an explanation

to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time: · Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time.find an explanation for: · No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship's sudden disappearance.

► clear up

to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved: clear up something: · I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me.clear something up: · Can you clear something up for us? How old are you?· The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery.

► crack

informal to find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time: · It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it.· Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it.

► unravel

to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated: · We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.· Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?

to get used to a new job or way of life► settle in

to gradually get used to a new place or a new way of life, so that you feel relaxed and confident: · Paul never really settled in at his last school.· We normally give new employees a little while to settle in before we overload them with responsibilities.settle into something: · It didn't take Charlie long to settle into his new job.· Within a month she had settled into a moderate exercise regimen.

► find your feet

to get used to a new type of work or a new way of life, especially one that is difficult at first and takes time to learn: · I asked Susie if I could stay with her till I found my feet.· This organization's role is to help refugees find their feet when they arrive in the host country.

► find your way around

to get used to a new place where you have come to live or work, especially so that you know where everything is: · Whenever I move into a new neighborhood I like to spend a couple of weeks just finding my way around.find your way around something: · The university campus is quite large and it takes new students a while to find their way around it.

to find out how to get to a place by using maps► find your way

to manage to get to a place, either by remembering the way from previous journeys, or by going the way you think is right: · Unable to find our way, we stopped at a local hotel to ask directions.find your way to/home/out/back etc: · Somehow, I managed to find my way out of the forest.find your own way (=without anyone else's help): · If I take you there, do you think you'll be able to find your own way back?

► navigate

to find the way to a place using maps or by carefully remembering the position of various objects or places: · I don't mind driving but I'd like you to navigate.navigate by: · Some birds fly at night and navigate by the stars.

COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► nowhere to be found

Her mother went to the shops, and on her return, Kathleen was nowhere to be found (=could not be found).

► woke to find

She woke to find a man by her bed.

► find yourself/your mind etc doing something

When he left, Karen found herself heaving a huge sigh of relief.

She tried to concentrate, but found her mind drifting back to Alex.

► find something/somebody easy/useful/interesting etc

She found the work very dull.

Lots of women I know find him attractive.

I found them quite easy to use.

► find it hard/easy/difficult etc (to do something)

Hyperactive children find it difficult to concentrate.

► find somebody guilty/not guilty (of something)

Both men were found guilty of illegally entering the country.

► find in somebody’s favour

The tribunal found in favour of the defendant.

► found solace in

He eventually found solace in religion.

► find out for yourself

I thought it best to let you find out for yourself.

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► gain/find acceptance

This management style gained acceptance in the 1980s.

► find an alternative

· The program is directed to finding alternatives to oil and natural gas.

► amazed to see/find/discover something

Visitors are often amazed to discover how little the town has changed.

► find ... amusing

I don’t find his jokes at all amusing.

► find an answer

· The aim is to find a long-term answer to poverty.

► find ... appealing

It creates an atmosphere which visitors find so appealing.

► astonished to see/find/hear/learn etc

We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition.

► find ... attractive

Women seem to find him attractive.

► strike/achieve/find a balance

(=succeed in getting the right balance)· It is necessary to strike a balance between the needs of employers and employees.· Find the right balance between enough exercise and enough rest.

► find a bargain

· Investors may be able to find some bargains this year.

► was nowhere to be found

We searched everywhere but the ring was nowhere to be found (=could not be found).

► found ... calling

It wasn’t until Durant was in her 30s that she found her calling.

► discover/find the cause

· An investigation has failed to discover the cause of the epidemic.

► found a city

(=start developing a new city)· He founded the city of Baghdad in the 8th century.

► find a clue

· No one had found any clues as to where the missing girl could be.

► find/take comfort in something

· He had been through a similar experience and she found comfort in that.

► found/establish a company

· The company was founded in 1993 by William J. Nutt.

► find/work out a compromise

· A temporary compromise was found.

► discover/find a connection

· This is the first official investigation to find a connection.

► find a correlation

· Researchers failed to find any correlation between the two.

► find the courage to do something

· You must find the courage to deal with the problem.

► find/discover a cure

· Scientists are still hoping to find a cure for the common cold.

► find somebody dead

· A man was found dead in the apartment.

► take/find delight in something

(=enjoy something a lot)· He took delight in entertaining guests in his apartment.

► difficult (for somebody) to understand/find/obtain etc

That’s rather difficult for me to explain.

He’s finding it difficult to get a job.

► disappointed to hear/see/find etc

Visitors were disappointed to find the museum closed.

► found discrepancies

Police found discrepancies in the two men’s reports.

► disturbed to find/see/discover/learn etc

She was disturbed to learn he had bought a motorbike.

► find something to eat

· I got dressed and went downstairs to find something to eat.

► finds ... echo

This idea finds an echo in many African countries.

► found an empire

(=start an empire)· The Persian empire was founded by Cyrus the Great.

► find/get employment

· The men hope to find employment in the construction industry.

► please find enclosed

(=used in business letters to say that you are sending something with a letter)

Please find enclosed an agenda for the meeting.

► find/spot/notice an error

· His accountant spotted several errors in his tax return.

► find evidence

(also obtain evidence formal)· The authorities failed to obtain enough evidence to convict him.

► find an example

· We found examples of people being overcharged by as much as 50%.

► find something exciting

· He found it very exciting to ride a horse at such speed and jump over large obstacles.

► an experiment to test/measure/find out something

· We did an experiment to test the acidity of the soil.

► find/think of/come up with an explanation

· Scientists have been unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon.

► discover/find out the extent of something

· We were shocked when we discovered the extent of the fraud.

► achieve/find fame

· Amy Johnson found fame as a pilot.

► new-found fame

· Anna was finding it difficult to get used to her new-found fame.

► find somebody/something fascinating

I found him quite fascinating.

► discover/find out somebody’s fate

· He only discovered his sister’s fate after the war.

► seek/find fulfilment

The real joy of the priesthood is helping people find personal fulfilment.

► find ... funny

If this is your idea of a joke, I don’t find it at all funny.

► have/find a good word (to say)

No one had a good word to say for her.

► found a group

formal (=start a group)· Mick Jagger and Keith Richards founded the group in the early Sixties.

► found ... guilty

The jury found her guilty of murder.

► find happiness

· It’s a story about a music composer who unexpectedly finds happiness as a teacher.

► find it hard to do something

I was finding it hard to concentrate.

► found ... heavy going

I found his latest novel a bit heavy going.

► find help

· To get it finished by tomorrow, we’ll need to find help from somewhere.

► horrified to see/hear/find etc

She was horrified to discover that he loved Rose.

► find out/discover somebody’s identity

· The police have yet to discover the victim’s identity.

► find something impossible

· He found it impossible to sleep because of the noise coming from next door.

► find it ... incredible that

I find it almost incredible that no one noticed these errors.

► found ... innocent

The court found him innocent and he was released.

► find inspiration in something

· As a musician, he finds inspiration in traditional music.

► find something interesting

I found his talk very interesting.

► find ... irresistible

Men find Natalie irresistible.

► found ... irritating

He was smiling in a way I found very irritating.

► get/find a job

· Eventually, Mary got a job as a waitress.

► the jury finds somebody guilty/not guilty

· The jury found him guilty of murder.

► found lacking

The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.

► find a loophole

· Some lawyers spend their time simply finding loopholes in existing contracts.

► find love

(=meet someone to love)· I never thought I would find love.

► find something on a map

· I managed to find the village on the map.

► rescue/diplomatic/fact-finding etc mission

a group of US congressmen on a fact-finding mission to Northern Ireland

► mortified to hear/find etc

Nora was mortified to discover that her daughter had been out drinking.

► find/establish a motive

· So far the police have been unable to establish a motive for the murder.

► find the nerve to do something

· He couldn't find the nerve to ask her out.

► find a niche

· He had a hard time finding his niche academically.

► find objectionable

This programme contains scenes some viewers may find objectionable.

► discover/find oil

· Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938.· How does a company go about finding oil and getting it from the ground?

► overjoyed to hear/find/see etc something

He was overjoyed to see his mother again.

► form/found a party

· The two politicians broke away from the PDF to form a new political party.

► find pleasure in (doing) something

· I find great pleasure in reading.

► a poll finds something

· Our poll found that 29 percent rated his performance as good.

► find yourself in a similar/awkward etc position

· The refugee organizations now found themselves in a difficult position.

► find a pulse

(=be able to feel a pulse, which shows that someone is alive)· To her relief, she found a pulse.

► find/seek sanctuary

Fleeing refugees found sanctuary in Geneva.

► find satisfaction in something

· They found satisfaction in helping others achieve their goals.

► find/get your sea legs

I felt awful yesterday. But, thankfully, I’ve found my sea legs now.

► discover/find out a secret

· He was afraid that someone would discover his secret.

► find shelter

· He slept wherever he could find shelter.

► seek/find solace in something

After the death of her son, Val found solace in the church.

► find/come up with a solution

· We are working together to find the best solution we can.

► a species is found somewhere

· This species is found only in the Southern Hemisphere.

► find the strength to do something

· Mary found the strength to climb up onto the upturned boat.

► find the strength to do something

· Paula had found the strength to escape from an abusive marriage.

► a study finds something

· The study found that men were more likely to take risks.

► find a successor

· Non-executive director John Evans will act as chairman until a permanent successor is found.

► it surprises somebody to see/find/know etc

It had surprised me to find how fussy he was about some things.

► a survey finds something

· A survey found that 37 percent of students were born outside the country.

► make/find time to do something

(=do something, even though you are busy)· You need to make time to do things you enjoy.

► find out/discover/uncover the truth

· She was determined to find out the truth.

► find something useful

· Did you find the book useful?

► found ... true vocation

At 17 she found her true vocation as a writer.

► found wanting

Their security procedures were found wanting.

► find a way

· We must find a way to help them.

► find your way

· I managed to find my way home.

► find the word

(=succeed in thinking of the right word to use)· She couldn’t find the words to explain how she felt.

► find work

(=get a job)· It was difficult for them to find work.

COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► job

· Most students find that the first job does eventually come along, and even that elusive Equity card is attainable.· So they sadly boxed up the artifacts and found new jobs.· Therefore, finding a job is akin to winning the pools.· Under the proposed federal regulation, Texas could not give beneficiaries more than two years to find a job.· He finds that job ads placed in prominent papers like the Financial Times serve him well.· Executives in charge of poorly performing companies or departments generally find their jobs in jeopardy.· Not surprisingly, therefore, with youth unemployment so high, some school-leavers with qualifications fail to find jobs.· The relatively recent outbreak of street violence and protests largely reflect the frustration of young people unable to find jobs.

► place

· I have never had much time for the more esoteric confections you find all over the place.· She could find a place for herself somewhere and eventually did.· Anne knew Nina could easily find a place to kill herself in private.· I said I had found the place not exactly to my taste.· Uncle Kevin was in a big solicitors' practice: they'd find a place for him.· Treasurer for many years, resigned, and no one has yet been found to take his place.· It follows that this account finds no place for a notion of acquired equivalence.· Deborah had taken a lodger the moment she found her place.

► solution

· So Alexander left the surgery determined that he, himself, was going to find out the solution to his curious problem.· Firstly, the desire to find good integer solutions so that the enumeration tree can be severely pruned.· Constantly he creates situations for which he can find no earthly solution and his characters encounter difficulties beyond their means to control.· Most of all we need action to find a long term solution.· And worry can work wonders in helping you find solutions to entrepreneurial challenges.· We asked Volvo, famed for cars that outlast the hardiest perennials, to find a solution.· The Occupational Therapist is there to try and help you find a solution to your problem.

► way

· Julia Hirsch discusses wedding photographs of mixed marriages which must find a way of dealing with two sets of cultural conventions.· In Loreto Entally, however, the community soon found a more novel way of distinguishing the two.· Both of these members of the Rubiaceae family are finding their way into good houseplant departments.· Could one of these have found its way into the ear?· Some colours and wood grain effects are beginning to find their way on to the market, although most are still white.· The difference is that some couples find a way to deal with it and move on.· To help them find a way out of the morass they had jumped into.· Hansel might instead have studied landmarks on the way in, to find his way back out.

VERB► try

· But, of course, that is precisely what one is still trying to find out - what the words are.· We tried to find one of his friends to spend the night, but they all had other plans.· We arc trying to find out.· She must have been feeling her way along, trying to find the house.· Mum did all the work of trying to find something.· It should only be accepted when everything has been tried, and found wanting.· And as no-one takes the paradigm seriously, no-one is troubled to try to find an explanation for the seemingly anomalous data.· Something in me lingered back-I had a panicked minute of argument in which I tried to find some other way.

PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► find your way (somewhere)

Alternatively dirt and silt could find their way back into the pond.
As the sulphur finds its way into his lungs, he will become dizzy and nauseated.
Corporate sponsorship ensures that far more money finds its way into sport than would otherwise be the case.
I go back, and this time I find my way into nondescript offices below ground where priests are transcribing notes.
In due course, these accounts found their way into print.
The ball should have been cleared long before it found its way on to Robert Lee's left boot.
The company said it would have been impossible to keep the new soybeans from finding their way into human food.
You must learn to find your way through the menu maze before you can use the program efficiently.

► find its way somewhere► find comfort/pleasure/fulfilment etc in something

Ana seemed to find pleasure in simply listening, though.
But we did find comfort in knowing the food was there.
Dorothy Wordsworth found fulfilment in ways that elude precise analysis.
He glanced at Rock Hardy, finding comfort in the familiar face. 5.03 already!
I could only hope to be happy, and find comfort in the hope, as people do, wherever they are.
They learned to tolerate loneliness, and find comfort in people, fantasies or activities outside the family.
They tried to find comfort in knowing they had done their best.

► find fault with somebody/something

The sergeant seemed to find fault with everything Maddox did.
Alas, the critics were liable to miss the point or deliberately find fault with it.
But after the spectacle in Baghdad, it's harder to find fault with those who worry that they eventually might.
He would not find fault with the falsehood.
In fact, the report seemed to find fault with Pollack for not having reported possible exposure to the virus.
It is easy to find fault with any programme for converting a planned economy back into a market one.
It is not easy to find fault with Jimmy Connors' version of the backhand, is it?
Only one investor found the nerve to find fault with what the vast majority considered to be an excellent performance in 1991.
She always had to find fault with everything; she wouldn't have been our Mum else.

► find it in your heart/yourself to do something

For this alone, I may find it in my heart to forgive her.
He hoped the moon could find it in its heart to overlook his sins as it climbed the heavens.
To his grief, Donny's widow would not find it in her heart to speak to him again.

► find yourself

She went to India to find herself.
And the other morning I found myself feeling guilty about something I'd said to some one about twenty years ago.
But one thing leads to another, and Sister Helen finds herself challenged to put her beliefs on the line.
Conclusion Most of the children who read this book find themselves quite liking Gowie Corby.
He has gone back through that door to find himself in 1963.
I found myself just doing things without even thinking about them - my fingers seemed to work away on their own.
It goes without saying that almost invariably the instances of animal behaviour that we find ourselves discussing involve adult creatures.
Organizations that make them often find themselves settling happily into the healthy habit of regular truth-telling.
Practically put, corn farmers would find themselves with unwanted inventories of output.

► find favour (with somebody/something)

In this example it is difficult to know which of these arguments would find favour with a court.
Kureishi is pleased by the comparison, as he says Seth's haughty looks find favour with women.
Mosley resigned in May 1930, when these schemes did not find favour in government circles.
Of course anything as scientific as a mechanical test has not always found favour with traditional craftsmen or indeed with business men.
Official materials and guidelines do not always find favour with parents and governors.
Perhaps predictably, the proposals have not found favour with Gloucestershire County Council.
Porta caval shunt operations have not found favour in recent years because of the increased incidence of postoperative hepatic encephalopathy.
The argument which has found favour in certain of the authorities runs as follows.

► find your feet

I asked Susie if I could stay with her till I found my feet.
Susie said I could stay at her place for a while, just until I found my feet.
This organization's role is to help refugees find their feet when they arrive in the host country.
But Cambridge found their feet and took an audacious lead.
If this means raising their chair, workers may find their feet are dangling.
It yielded after causing only moderate cranial discomfort, but as it did I found my feet caught up in something.
Lord Airlie also went out of his way to help me find my feet.
New democracies have been born, struggling against appalling odds to find their feet, with hyper-inflation and national rivalries.
New teachers in their first year or so are still very much in the process of finding their feet.
We have to help them find their feet.

► find its mark/target

But now their enmity found its target in the flesh.
I doubt whether it could have found its target but the very shape of it in my hands was reassuring.
It found its mark; one of the suitors fell dying to the floor.

► find your voice

As a composer Gurney found his voice in 1913/14 with the composition of Five Elizabethan Songs.
As he found his voice, I too found mine.
But as soon as we had found our voice again, we were once more interrupted by visits from Berlin.
But though he first reacted by withdrawing, ultimately Scott found his voice and became a conservative leader on the Columbia campus.
For a moment she couldn't find her voice.
In the persistent silence only Dada found his voice.
My granda found his voice among the living.

► be found wanting

The policy has been severely tested over the last 16 months and has been found wanting.
Both were confidently given and both were found wanting.
Faced with these twin assaults on his ego it was hardly surprising that many players were found wanting.
Improvements can be made in the light of performance and composers may discard or destroy compositions which are found wanting.
It's a long time since Donegal were found wanting in so many key areas.
The toilets were found wanting as well.
Until Nikos was found wanting Owen would continue to trust him.
When the match was found wanting, he was able to proceed to non-spherical planets, and so on.
With the result that pure deduction is found wanting.

► find somebody out► be found somewhere

Whatever factors are suggested as to why people have bigger or smaller families, counterexamples can be found somewhere in the world.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be to be seen/found/heard etc

A comparable tendency is to be found in the theatre.
A similar situation is to be found in other regions of the world.
Further comments on attaching priorities to different subjects and to different levels of material are to be found in Chapter 3.
He was to be found lurking in the band's dressing room whenever they ventured into Mancunian territory, which was often.
It was to be found in the libraries of other leading Virginians: Lord Botetourt, Thos.
She and two of the Aussies then proceeded to the next floor where guest bedrooms were to be found.
The only reference to sustainable development was to be found in paragraph two hundred and thirteen.
These words, in his own hand, are to be found, framed, inside the hall.

► get/find your bearings

It took her a minute to get her bearings.
Ozzie drank his beer and got his bearings.
Pausing to get his bearings, he blew furiously on his fingers to cool them down.
She stopped for a moment to get her bearings.
She was able to get her bearings this way and soon found herself at the back of the house.
They are there to allow us to find our bearings and set our calendar.
To get their bearings Allen once more climbed.
Without stopping to get his bearings, he began walking up Broadway along the east side of the street.

► make/find common cause (with/against somebody)► know/find out/learn etc something to your cost► the devil makes/finds work for idle hands► fact-finding trip/visit/mission etc

At that stage, I did not make any connection between my irritability and my fact-finding missions.
My older brother, who had a crush on my friend, often accompanied me on these fact-finding missions.
Some pass the evening chatting to a Member of Parliament on a fact-finding mission.
There is always a Member of Parliament on a fact-finding mission.
There will also be in-depth discussion on Northern Ireland and the Mr Clinton's plan to send a fact-finding mission.
There will be no fact-finding missions to any of the countries in question.
This in turn means swotting up on the subject, going on fact-finding missions and meeting politicians and organisers.
When on the fact-finding mission, my approach was a lot like yours, matter-of-fact.

► find a home for something

Enter Arizona Greyhound Rescue, a non-profit group dedicated to finding homes for the retired racers.
Now all that is left to do is find a home for the project.
Some other species are hard to find homes for, even for free.

► see/find out how the land lies► the lost-and-found► see/find out what somebody is (really) made of► be nowhere to be seen/found

Our tour guide was nowhere to be seen, so we set off to explore the city alone.
She'd looked everywhere for her glasses, but they were nowhere to be found.
Amelia Otis's name is nowhere to be found.
But David Kent was nowhere to be seen.
He had been searching for Morthen, to protect her from his violent half-brother, but she was nowhere to be found.
I patrolled the town for a while, but they were nowhere to be seen.
The prison director ordered a search, but the prisoner was nowhere to be found.
When a game was on the line, Carr was nowhere to be found.
Willie had looked around for the twins and George, but they were nowhere to be seen.

► find/get religion

Nichols found religion during his fifteen years in prison.
I look forward to watching Rainbow attempt to get religion in hopes of winning fair lady.
I wondered at what point he had got religion.

► find your tongue

When she came into the room, I had trouble finding my tongue.
She moved her mouth about a bit to see if she could find her tongue.