Meaning & use
notice
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To become aware of something by seeing, hearing, or observing it.
Grammar: Takes an object: notice a change. Can also be followed by a that-clause: I noticed that she was quiet.
Patterns
- notice something
- notice that ...
- notice someone doing something
- notice how/what ...
Did you notice the new sign on the door?
I noticed that he was wearing a different jacket today.
She noticed a strange smell coming from the kitchen.
nouncountable
A written or spoken message that gives information or a warning.
Grammar: Countable: a notice, some notices. Often used in fixed phrases like 'give notice' or 'at short notice'.
Patterns
- a notice about something
- give notice
- at short notice
- until further notice
There's a notice on the board about the fire drill.
The company gave notice that the office would close early.
She received a notice from the bank about her account.
Word forms
| third person singular | notices |
|---|---|
| past tense | noticed |
| past participle | noticed |
| -ing form | noticing |
| plural | notices |
Common combinations
- notice a difference
- I can't notice any difference between the two brands.
- notice that
- He noticed that the door was unlocked.
- give notice
- She gave notice at work because she found a new job.
- at short notice
- They canceled the meeting at short notice.
- public notice
- The city posted a public notice about the road closure.
Synonyms and how they differ
- see
- More general and often accidental; 'notice' suggests paying attention to something you see or hear.
- observe
- More formal and deliberate; you observe something carefully, while you can notice something without trying.
- spot
- Informal; it means to see or notice something suddenly, often something small or hidden.
- perceive
- Formal; it means to become aware of something through the senses, similar to 'notice' but more technical.
Opposites
Word family
- noticeable adjective
- Easy to see or notice; obvious.
- noticeably adverb
- In a way that is easy to see or notice.
- notify verb
- To tell someone officially about something; related in meaning to the noun 'notice'.
- notification noun
- An official message that tells you about something.
Commonly confused: notice or notion? notice or note?
notice vs notion
A notion is an idea or belief; a notice is a message or the act of seeing something. They sound similar but are unrelated.
notice vs note
As a verb, 'note' means to write something down or to mention it; 'notice' means to become aware of it. As a noun, a note is a short written message, while a notice is more official.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Notice' can be followed by a that-clause: 'I noticed that she was upset.' Option B is wrong because the tense doesn't match the past 'noticed'. Option C is possible in informal speech but less formal; option D is ungrammatical because 'notice' does not take 'of'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “notice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.