perceive
To notice or understand something.
perceive in a sentence
- Only the detective could perceive the tiny clue hidden among the ordinary books.
- Bats can perceive tiny sounds that human ears never notice at all.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to perceive?
- Aoverlook
- Bnotice
- Cmiss
- Dignore
Show the answer
B: notice. The other three mean the opposite of perceive.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to perceive?
- Anotice
- Bsee
- Csense
- Dmiss
Show the answer
D: miss. The other three mean nearly the same as perceive.
Words that mean something similar
notice, see, sense
Words that mean the opposite
miss, ignore, overlook
More words about thinking & learning
- perplexed: Confused and unable to understand something.
- plausible: Sounding reasonable and likely to be true.
- ponder: To think about something slowly and carefully.
- precise: Exact and completely accurate.
- predict: To say what you think will happen in the future.
- prejudice: An unfair opinion about someone, formed without knowing the facts.
- preposterous: So silly that it is hard to believe.
- probe: To explore or examine something carefully to find out more.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test