realize

realize — verb

1. to suddenly understand a fact or truth that you did not know or accept before, e

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to suddenly understand a fact or truth that you did not know or accept before, especially when something brings it to your attention

例句

Camila suddenly realized she had left her keys inside the locked car.

realize + that-clause for becoming aware of a fact

As the math teacher drew the graph, Darius realized how much more practice he needed before the final exam.

realize + how-clause

同義詞
  • notice

    less mental processing — you notice with your senses; realize involves deeper understanding

  • recognize

    implies identifying something already known, whereas realize can be discovering something new

  • grasp

    more formal; suggests fully understanding a complex point

  • comprehend

    more formal and technical; less sudden than realize

反義詞
  • overlook

    fail to notice or realize

  • ignore

    deliberately not pay attention, unlike realizing involuntarily

文法句型

realize + (that) clause

realize + wh-clause (what/why/how)

realize + noun phrase (fact/truth/mistake)

常見錯誤

❌I realized the party is fun before I went.
✅I realized the party was fun only after I arrived.
💡'realize' describes the moment of understanding, not a prior opinion.

2. to successfully turn a hope, ambition, or plan into something real through susta

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to successfully turn a hope, ambition, or plan into something real through sustained effort

例句

After years of saving, Noa finally realized her dream of opening a small bookstore.

collocation: realize a dream

The young swimmer realized his potential when he broke the national record.

collocation: realize potential

同義詞
  • achieve

    more common and general; realize adds the nuance of 'making real' something previously only imagined

  • fulfill

    emphasizes meeting a desire or expectation; similar to realize but slightly more formal

  • attain

    more formal; often used for goals reached after difficulty

反義詞
  • abandon

    give up on a goal before achieving it

  • fail

    try but not succeed in achieving

文法句型

realize + noun phrase (dream/ambition/potential/goal/plan)

用法筆記

Common objects include dream, ambition, potential, goal, plan, vision. The subject is usually a person or group that worked toward the outcome.

常見錯誤

❌She realized her homework before dinner.
✅She realized her goal of finishing the project.
💡Use 'finish' or 'complete' for everyday tasks; 'realize' is for meaningful, long-term aims.

3. to happen in exactly the way someone was afraid it would, so that their worry tu

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to happen in exactly the way someone was afraid it would, so that their worry turns out to be correct

例句

Adisa's worst fears were realized when sales dropped by half in one month.

passive: fears were realized

Esme's fears about the trip were realized when a storm forced the plane back.

同義詞
  • come true

    broader — can be positive (dreams) or negative; 'realized' is almost exclusively for negative fears

  • materialize

    more formal; can be neutral or negative

反義詞

文法句型

fears/worries/suspicions + be realized

fears + realize themselves

用法筆記

Almost always used in the passive voice with fear, worry, suspicion, dread, or nightmare as the subject.

常見錯誤

❌His fear realized that he would fail.
✅His fear of failure was realized.
💡The fear is the subject, and the verb is usually passive ('was realized').

4. to be sold at a public auction for a particular price or amount of money

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to be sold at a public auction for a particular price or amount of money

例句

The painting realized over one million dollars at a charity auction in London.

realize + amount of money at auction

The old seaside mansion realized a price far higher than the owners expected.

同義詞
  • fetch

    less formal; used for prices at auction or sale

  • sell for

    general verb phrase; realize is more formal and specific to auctions

文法句型

item + realize + amount of money

item + realize + a price/value

用法筆記

No passive form. The subject is always the item being sold, not the seller. Common in auction and real-estate contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The seller realized one million dollars for the painting.
✅The painting realized one million dollars.
💡The item, not the seller, is the subject of this sense.

5. to sell possessions such as property, shares, or investments in order to obtain

5.動詞及物B2
釋義

to sell possessions such as property, shares, or investments in order to obtain cash

例句

The family realized their assets to pay for their grandfather's medical treatment.

collocation: realize assets

The company realized the value of its real estate by selling the office building.

同義詞
  • liquidate

    more technical; implies converting all assets to cash, often under pressure

  • sell off

    less formal; selling in parts or at a discount

反義詞
  • retain

    keep rather than sell

  • invest

    put money into assets rather than take money out

文法句型

realize + assets/property/investments

realize + value/profits/capital

用法筆記

Often used in financial and legal contexts. The subject is the person or organization doing the selling.

常見錯誤

❌I realized my old laptop for fifty dollars.
✅I realized the value of my old investments when I sold the shares.
💡This sense is for significant assets, not casual personal items.

6. to expand a shorthand musical notation called figured bass into a complete, play

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

to expand a shorthand musical notation called figured bass into a complete, playable harmony by adding the chords indicated by numbers

例句

The harpsichordist realized the figured bass during the Baroque music concert.

specialist term: realize a figured bass

Music students in the Baroque performance class learn to realize a figured bass line by adding chords above each note.

同義詞
  • harmonize

    broader — adding any harmony; realize is specific to figured bass notation

文法句型

realize + a figured bass

realize + a bass line/part

用法筆記

A specialist term in Baroque music performance. Not used in general English. The subject is always a musician, and the object is a figured bass or bass line.

7. to perform or produce a piece of music from written notes or instructions, givin

7.動詞及物B2
釋義

to perform or produce a piece of music from written notes or instructions, giving it a specific sound or style

例句

The orchestra realized the composer's score beautifully in the concert hall.

collocation: realize a score

Sora realized the piano piece in a slower, more emotional style than usual.

同義詞
  • perform

    more common; realize emphasizes bringing written notes to life faithfully

  • interpret

    focuses on the performer's artistic choices; realize focuses on faithful execution from notation

文法句型

realize + a score/symphony/song

realize + music + in/with + style/manner

用法筆記

Common in classical music criticism and historical performance contexts. The subject is a performer or ensemble, and the object is a written musical work.

8. to produce a speech sound with a specific quality or position, based on the phon

8.動詞及物C1
釋義

to produce a speech sound with a specific quality or position, based on the phonetic rules of a language or dialect

例句

In some Scottish English dialects, speakers realize the 'r' sound at the back of the mouth.

specialist: realize a speech sound

The visiting linguist showed the phonetics class how to realize a glottal stop between two vowel sounds.

同義詞
  • pronounce

    the everyday term; realize is the technical phonetic term

  • articulate

    also technical; focuses on the physical production of speech

文法句型

realize + a speech sound

sound + be realized + as + phonetic variant

用法筆記

Primarily used in linguistics and phonetics. Not used in everyday speech about pronunciation — learners should use 'pronounce' instead.

常見錯誤

❌How do you realize this word?
✅How do you pronounce this word?
💡For everyday questions about pronunciation, use 'pronounce'; 'realize' is a technical term for linguists.