Meaning & use
discover
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To find something or someone, or learn a fact, for the first time, especially by chance or investigation.
Grammar: Takes an object or a that-clause: discover a cave; discover that it was empty.
Patterns
- discover something
- discover that something
- discover how/what/why
Scientists discovered a new species of frog.
I discovered that the store closed at five.
She discovered a love of painting in college.
verbtransitive
To be the first person to find or identify something that was not known to exist.
Grammar: Usually passive in history: the planet was discovered in 1846.
Patterns
- be discovered by someone
Marie Curie discovered radium.
The tomb was discovered in 1922.
Word forms
| third person singular | discovers |
|---|---|
| past tense | discovered |
| past participle | discovered |
| -ing form | discovering |
Common combinations
- discover the truth
- She wanted to discover the truth.
- newly discovered
- A newly discovered painting went on show.
- discover a talent
- He discovered a talent for music.
- accidentally discover
- He accidentally discovered the error.
Synonyms and how they differ
- find
- Find is the everyday word and does not suggest anything new.
- uncover
- Uncover suggests revealing something hidden.
- realize
- Realize is about coming to understand a fact.
Opposites
Word family
- discovery noun
- the act or an instance of finding something
- discoverer noun
- someone who discovers
Commonly confused: discover or invent?
discover vs invent
Invent means to create something new; discover means to find something that already existed.
Practice
Which sentence correctly uses discover?
Choose one answer.
Discover takes an object or a that-clause.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “discover”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.