Synonyms of realize

realize

verb

ˈrē-ə-ˌlīz 

1

as in to discover

to come to an awareness of

I just realized that I can't go out to dinner tonight because I'm supposed to babysit for our neighbor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discover
• see
• learn
• hear
• find
• ascertain
• find out
• get on (to)
• wise (up)
• catch on (to)
• detect
• get wind of
• perceive
• encounter
• figure out
• hit (on or upon)
• discern
• tumble (to)
• spot
• calculate
• note
• observe
• espy
• descry
• divine
• puzzle (out)
• mind
• dope (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• miss
• overlook
• ignore
• forget
• disregard
• hide
• cover
• conceal
• curtain
• veil
• unlearn
• mask
• screen
• cloak
• blot out
• blanket
• enshroud
• occult
• shroud

2

as in to earn

to receive as return for effort

if you deposit your paycheck in a savings account, you'll realize a little interest on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• earn
• reap
• gain
• win
• make
• get
• garner
• obtain
• attain
• acquire
• land
• capture
• achieve
• secure
• procure
• carry
• draw
• bring in
• pull down
• come by
• accomplish
• knock down
• accumulate
• bag
• gross
• score
• net
• occupy
• clear
• regain
• amass
• catch
• recapture
• pick up
• take over
• notch (up)
• rack up
• remake
• reacquire
• annex
• reattain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lose
• pay
• give
• forfeit
• grant
• yield
• accord
• surrender
• give up
• relinquish
• part (with)
• hand over

Synonym Chooser

How is the word realize distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of realize are conceive, envisage, envision, fancy, imagine, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

When might conceive be a better fit than realize?

While the synonyms conceive and realize are close in meaning, conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How are the words envisage and envision related as synonyms of realize?

Both envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation

envisioned a cure for the disease

Where would fancy be a reasonable alternative to realize?

The words fancy and realize are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

When can imagine be used instead of realize?

The words imagine and realize can be used in similar contexts, but imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When would think be a good substitute for realize?

The synonyms think and realize are sometimes interchangeable, but think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of realize

The mass shooting and subsequent manhunt raised plenty of questions about campus security and now that new measures are being put into place, students and staff are starting to realize just what is changing around them. —Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026

Smart remembers waking up and realizing there was a knife at her neck. —Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026

And then, suddenly, in 2025, European leaders realized three things. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026

The name stuck, even though experts soon realized the organism wasn’t a tree at all. —Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 21 Jan. 2026