see
verb /siː/
/siː/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they see | /siː/ /siː/ |
| he / she / it sees | /siːz/ /siːz/ |
| past simple saw | /sɔː/ /sɔː/ |
| past participle seen | /siːn/ /siːn/ |
| -ing form seeing | /ˈsiːɪŋ/ /ˈsiːɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes
- see somebody/something She looked for him but couldn't see him in the crowd.
- I looked out of the window but saw nothing.
- The opera was the place to see and be seen (= by other important or fashionable people).
- I would like to see some proof of this statement.
- The divers reported seeing a lot of sharks.
- He recalls seeing his father sitting at the kitchen table.
- I've never seen anything like this!
- see (that)… He could see (that) she had been crying.
- see what, how, etc… Did you see what happened?
- If you watch carefully, you’ll see how it is done.
- see somebody/something + adj. I hate to see you unhappy.
- see somebody/something doing something She was seen running away from the scene of the crime.
- see somebody/something do something I saw you put the key in your pocket.
- somebody/something is seen to do something He was seen to enter the building about the time the crime was committed.
- (figurative) The government not only has to do something, it must be seen to be doing something (= people must be aware that it is doing something).
- see + adv./prep. The walls were too high to see over.
Homophones seas | sees | seizeseas sees seize/siːz//siːz/- seas noun (plural of sea)
- The pirate was a renowned terror of the eastern seas.
- sees verb (third person of see)
- It's a secret—make sure nobody sees!
- seize verb
- She was eager to seize any opportunity that was offered.
Synonyms seesee- spot
- catch
- glimpse
- see to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes:
- She looked for him but couldn’t see him in the crowd.
- He could see (that) she had been crying.
- spot to see or notice somebody/something, especially suddenly or when they are not easy to see or notice:
- I’ve just spotted a mistake on the front cover.
- catch to see or notice something for a moment, but not clearly or completely:
- She caught sight of a car in the distance.
- He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
- glimpse (literary) to see somebody/something for a moment, but not clearly or completely:
- He’d glimpsed her through the window as he passed.
- to see/spot that/how/what/where/who…
- to suddenly see/spot/glimpse somebody/something
Extra Examples- A dolphin? Oh, let me see!
- I can't wait to see his face!
- I could see the boat clearly now.
- We could just see the hotel in the distance.
- The star is bright enough to see with the naked eye.
- I know it's hard to believe but I saw it with my own eyes.
- He was surprised to see Lucy standing there.
- I looked up, only to see Tommy chatting to someone.
- I'd love to see her win the gold medal.
- It's nice to see the children playing together.
- He didn't live to see his grandchildren.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- clearly
- easily
- plainly
- …
- be able to
- can
- go to
- …
- into
- get a/the chance to see
- get an/the opportunity to see
- have a/the chance to see
- …
- [intransitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to have or use the power of sight
- She will never see again (= she has become blind).
- On a clear day you can see for miles from here.
- see to do something It was getting dark and I couldn't see to read.
- I could hardly see because of the smoke.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- clearly
- easily
- plainly
- …
- be able to
- can
- go to
- …
- into
- get a/the chance to see
- get an/the opportunity to see
- have a/the chance to see
- …
- [transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to watch a game, television programme, performance, etc.
- see something Did you see that programme on Brazil last night?
- In the evening we went to see a movie.
- Fifty thousand people saw the match.
- I finally got to see them in concert.
- I really want to see this film now.
- This performance was very beautiful, like nothing I had ever seen before.
- I remember seeing that movie when I was a kid.
- see something on something It's not the sort of thing you see on TV that often.
- This film really deserves to be seen on a big screen.
Synonyms looklook- watch
- see
- view
- observe
- look to turn your eyes in a particular direction:
- If you look carefully you can just see our house from here.
- She looked at me and smiled.
- watch to look at somebody/something for a time, paying attention to what happens:
- to watch television
- Watch what I do, then you try.
- see to watch a game, television programme, performance, etc.:
- In the evening we went to see a movie.
- view (formal) to look at something, especially when you look carefully; to watch television, a film, etc.:
- People came from all over the world to view her work.
- observe (formal) to watch somebody/something carefully, especially to learn more about them or it:
- The patients were observed over a period of several months.
- to look/watch for somebody/something
- to watch/observe what/who/how…
- to look/watch/view/observe (somebody/something) with amazement/surprise/disapproval, etc.
- to watch/see/view a film/show/programme
- to watch/see a match/game/fight
- to look (at somebody/something)/watch (somebody/something)/observe somebody/something carefully/closely
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- clearly
- easily
- plainly
- …
- be able to
- can
- go to
- …
- into
- get a/the chance to see
- get an/the opportunity to see
- have a/the chance to see
- …
- [transitive, intransitive] (used in orders) to look at something in order to find information; to go to somebody in order to ask for help or information
- see something/somebody See page 158.
- If you missed the session, see a member of staff for advice.
- See Table 2 for details.
- See also paragraphs 6.5 to 6.9 above.
- see + adv./prep. See above/below for a breakdown of the costs.
- See over (= the next page) for details.
- [transitive] see somebody (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to be near and recognize somebody; to meet somebody by chance
- Guess who I saw at the party last night!
- Aren't you pleased to see me?
- It's so good to see you!
- [transitive] see somebody/something to visit somebody/something
- Come and see us again soon.
- Around 200 000 visitors each year come to see the summer palace.
Extra Examples- Veronica came to see him in prison.
- He said he'd been to see his sister.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + see- come to
- come around to
- come over to
- …
- about
- [transitive] to have a meeting with somebody
- see somebody about something You ought to see a doctor about that cough.
- What is it you want to see me about?
- see somebody I can only see you for five minutes.
Extra Examples- When was the last time you saw a dentist?
- She's gone to see the mechanic about getting her car repaired.
- Logan came around to see me about a job.
- I'm here to see Lisa Daniels.
- He came over to see me after my surgery.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + see- come to
- come around to
- come over to
- …
- about
- [transitive] (often used in the progressive tenses) see somebody to spend time with somebody
- Are you seeing anyone (= having a romantic relationship with anyone)?
- They've been seeing a lot of each other (= spending a lot of time together) recently.
- We haven't seen much of Liz lately.
- He has changed since his family last saw him.
- [intransitive, transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to understand something
- ‘It opens like this.’ ‘Oh, I see.’
- see something He didn't see the joke.
- I don't think she saw the point of the story.
- He changed the way we see the world around us.
- to see a/the need for something
- I see no need to involve the law.
- I can see both sides of the argument.
- They saw nothing wrong with having three cars.
- Make Lydia see reason (= be sensible), will you?
- see (that)… Can’t you see (that) he’s taking advantage of you?
- I don't see that it matters what Josh thinks.
- see what, why, etc… ‘It's broken.’ ‘Oh yes, I see what you mean.’
- ‘Can we go swimming?’ ‘I don't see why not (= yes, you can).’
- They will be able to see what really happened there.
Synonyms understandunderstand- see
- get
- follow
- grasp
- comprehend
- understand to know or realize the meaning of words, a language, what somebody says, etc; to know or realize how or why something happens, how it works or why it is important:
- I don’t understand the instructions.
- Doctors still don’t understand much about the disease.
- see to understand what is happening, what somebody is saying, how something works or how important something is:
- ‘It opens like this.’ ‘Oh, I see.’
- Oh yes, I see what you mean.
- get (informal) to understand a joke, what somebody is trying to tell you, or a situation that they are trying to describe:
- She didn’t get the joke.
- I don’t get you.
- follow to understand an explanation, a story or the meaning of something:
- Sorry—I don’t quite follow.
- The plot is almost impossible to follow.
- grasp to come to understand a fact, an idea or how to do something:
- They failed to grasp the importance of his words.
- comprehend (often used in negative statements) (formal) to understand a fact, idea or reason:
- The concept of infinity is almost impossible for the human mind to comprehend.
- to understand/see/get/follow/grasp/comprehend what/why/how…
- to understand/see/grasp/comprehend that…
- to understand/see/get/grasp the point/idea (of something)
- to be easy/difficult/hard to understand/see/follow/grasp/comprehend
- to fully understand/see/grasp/comprehend something
Extra Examples- I can see why you were so angry about it.
- I don't see why she should get more money than the others.
- I fail to see how this idea will help anyone.
- It is difficult to see how to get around this problem.
- He doesn't see how important this is.
- I don't quite see what he's getting at.
- I don't think she saw the point of the story.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + see- can
- cannot
- do not
- …
- [transitive] see something + adv./prep. (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to have an opinion of something
- I see things differently now.
- Try to see things from her point of view.
- The way I see it, you have three main problems.
- As far as I can see (= in my opinion), you've done nothing wrong.
- Lack of money is the main problem, as I see it (= in my opinion).
- She is in love with him but Darren sees their relationship in a different light (= has a different opinion).
Synonyms regardregardTopics Opinion and argumentb1- call
- find
- consider
- see
- view
- regard to think of somebody/something in a particular way: He seemed to regard the whole thing as a joke.
- call to say that somebody/something has particular qualities or characteristics: I wouldn’t call German an easy language.
- find to have a particular feeling or opinion about something: You may find your illness hard to accept.
- consider to think of somebody/something in a particular way: Who do you consider (to be) responsible for the accident?
- see to have an opinion of something: Try to see things from her point of view.
- view to think of somebody/something in a particular way: How do you view your position within the company? View has the same meaning as regard and consider but is slightly less frequent and slightly less formal. The main structures are view somebody/something as somebody/something (you cannot leave out the as) and view somebody/something with something.
- to regard/consider/see/view somebody/something as something
- to regard/consider/see/view somebody/something from a particular point of view
- to find/consider somebody/something to be something
- generally/usually regarded/considered/seen/viewed as something
- to regard/consider/view somebody/something favourably/unfavourably
- [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to consider something as a future possibility; to imagine somebody/something as something
- see somebody/something/yourself doing something I can't see her changing her mind.
- I can't really see myself working in a lab all day.
- see somebody/something/yourself as something His colleagues see him as a future director.
- She was quiet and withdrawn and never saw herself as a dancer.
Synonyms imagineimagine- think
- see
- envisage
- envision
- imagine to form an idea in your mind of what somebody/something might be like:
- The house was just as she had imagined it.
- think to imagine something that might happen or might have happened:
- We couldn’t think where you’d gone.
- Just think—this time tomorrow we’ll be lying on a beach.
- see to consider something as a future possibility; to imagine somebody as something:
- I can’t see her changing her mind.
- His colleagues see him as a future director.
- envisage (especially British English) to imagine what will happen in the future:
- I don’t envisage working with him again.
- envision to imagine what a situation will be like in the future, especially a situation that you intend to work towards:
- They envision an equal society, free from poverty and disease.
- to imagine/see/envisage/envision somebody/something as something
- to imagine/see/envisage/envision (somebody) doing something
- to imagine/think/see/envisage/envision who/what/how…
- to imagine/think/envisage/envision that…
- [intransitive, transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to find out something by looking, asking or waiting
- ‘Has the mail come yet?’ ‘I'll just go and see.’
- ‘Is he going to get better?’ ‘I don't know, we'll just have to wait and see.’
- We'll have a great time, you'll see.
- see what, how, etc… Go and see what the kids are doing, will you?
- We'll have to see how it goes.
- It will be interesting to see what happens.
- see (that)… I see (that) interest rates are going up again.
- it is seen that… It can be seen that certain groups are more at risk than others.
Extra Examples- He came over to see what was going on.
- I want to see how they'll react.
- She turned to see who it was.
- I'm glad to see that you're keeping well.
- You can see at a glance if all is well.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + see- want to
- come over to
- go over to
- …
- go and see
- wait and see
- [intransitive, transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to find out or decide something by thinking or considering
- ‘Will you be able to help us?’ ‘I don't know, I'll have to see.’
- ‘Can I go to the party?’ ‘We'll see (= I'll decide later).’
- see what, whether, etc… I'll see what I can do to help.
- [transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) see that… to make sure that you do something or that something is done
- See that all the doors are locked before you leave.
- Could you see that the kids are in bed by 8 o'clock?
- [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) see something to experience or suffer something
- He has seen a great deal in his long life.
- I hope I never live to see the day when computers finally replace books.
- It didn't surprise her—she had seen it all before.
Extra Examples- He saw first-hand the impact of colonialism.
- We expect to see an increase of 50–60%.
- [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) see something to be the time when an event happens
- Next year sees the centenary of Saint-Saëns' death.
- The twentieth century saw dramatic changes in most areas of life.
- [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) see something to be the place where an event happens synonym witness
- This stadium has seen many thrilling football games.
- [transitive] see somebody + adv./prep. to go with somebody to help or protect them
- I saw the old lady across (= helped her cross) the road.
- May I see you home (= go with you as far as your house)?
- My secretary will see you out (= show you the way out of the building).
use eyes
watch
look up/ask for information
meet by chance
visit
have meeting
spend time
understand
have opinion
imagine
find out
make sure
experience
witness event
help
Word Originverb Old English sēon, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zien and German sehen, perhaps from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sequi ‘follow’.
Idioms Most idioms containing see are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example not see the wood for the trees is at wood.
for all (the world) to see
- that can be seen clearly; in a way that can be seen clearly
let me see/let’s see
- (informal) used when you are thinking or trying to remember something
- Now let me see—how old is she now?
see something coming
- to realize that there is going to be a problem before it happens
- We should have seen it coming. There was no way he could keep going under all that pressure.
see somebody/something for what they are/it is
- to realize that somebody/something is not as good, pleasant, etc. as they/it seem
see for yourself
- to find out or look at something yourself in order to be sure that what somebody is saying is true
- If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself!
seeing that…
(also informal seeing as (how)…)
- because of the fact that…
- Seeing that he's been off sick all week he's unlikely to come.
see you (around/later/soon) | (I’ll) be seeing you
- (informal) goodbye
- I'd better be going now. See you!
you see
- (informal) used when you are explaining something
- You see, the thing is, we won't be finished before Friday.