Understand (Verb)
Meaning 1
Believe to be the case; "I understand you have no previous experience?".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- I understand you've recently moved to the city and don't know many people yet.
- Understand you're running a bit behind schedule, can you catch up by the end of the week.
- I understand the company is downsizing and some jobs may be lost.
- Understand we need to submit our proposals by the end of the month.
- I understand you're planning to start your own business and will be leaving your current job.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Be understanding of; "You don't need to explain--I understand!".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- She's going through a tough breakup, so try to understand where she's coming from.
- You don't need to justify yourself, I understand what happened.
- I know this is a lot to take in, but just know I understand how you're feeling.
- Don't worry about apologizing, I understand it was an honest mistake.
- You were really looking forward to the concert, and I understand why you're so disappointed it's cancelled.
Synonyms
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Meaning 3
Make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- She understands Spanish fluently and often translates for her family.
- My grandmother can read ancient Persian but struggles to speak it.
- I'm having trouble understanding the dialect, can you explain it to me.
- He doesn't understand a word of Russian, so we had to use an interpreter.
- Not many people in the village understand English, so it's hard for tourists.
Synonyms
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Meaning 4
Perceive (an idea or situation) mentally; "Now I see!"; "I just can't see your point"; "Does she realize how important this decision is?"; "I don't understand the idea".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- I think I finally understand why she reacted like that.
- It took me a while to understand the concept of quantum physics.
- The teacher asked the student if he understood the lesson.
- After listening to her explanation, I began to understand her perspective.
- The complexity of the problem made it difficult for me to understand the solution.
Synonyms
Hyponyms
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Meaning 5
Know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means".
Classification
Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.
Examples
- She did not understand her husband's decision to quit his job without discussing it with her beforehand.
- I understand what my parents are going through and I'm trying to be more supportive.
- He didn't understand the subtle hints his girlfriend was giving him, so she had to spell it out for him.
- By the end of the tutorial, I finally understand how to use the software efficiently.
- The psychologist took some time to understand the patient's past experiences before forming a diagnosis.
Hyponyms
- Compass
- Figure Out
- Get The Picture
- Fathom
- Comprehend
- See
- Savvy
- Translate
- Work
- Get
- Bottom
- Puzzle Out
- Apprehend
- Construe
- Dig
- Work Out
- Lick
- Interpret
- Read
- Grasp