- see
- I UK [siː] / US [sɪ]
verb
Word forms "see":
present tense I/you/we/they see he/she/it sees present participle seeing past tense saw UK [sɔː] / US [sɔ] past participle seen UK [siːn] / US [sɪn]
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1) [transitive, never progressive] to notice someone or something using your eyessee what/where/who:She laughed when she saw the expression on his face.
see (that):Did you see who it was?
see someone/something doing something:I could see she was upset.
Didn't you see him talking to her earlier?
a) [intransitive/transitive] to be able to use your eyes to notice and recognize thingssee to do something:If the operation is successful, he will be able to see again.
can't see a thing:It was too dark to see to read.
She can't see a thing without her contact lenses.
b) [transitive] to watch something such as a film or television programmeWe saw Hamlet at the National Theatre last week.
Have you seen the film American Beauty?
c) [transitive] to look at something in order to check itThe border guard asked to see her passport.
2) [transitive] to meet or visit someone who you know by arrangementsee you (= I'll meet you):Are you seeing Jane tomorrow?
See you at the station at 6 o'clock.
a) [transitive, never progressive] to meet someone who you know by accidentI saw David in town the other day.
b) [transitive] to have a business or professional meeting with someonesee someone about something:When can Mr Martin see me?
She's seeing the doctor about her leg tomorrow.
c) [transitive] to spend time with a friend or member of your familysee more/less/a lot of someone:We still see each other a couple of times a month.
I've been seeing a lot of my sister recently.
d) [transitive] to be visited by someonePeter still isn't well enough to see anyone.
3) [transitive, always in imperative] used for saying where you can find more informationsee above/below (= nearer the beginningend):See chapter 12.
This contributed to the success of the Republicans (see above).
4) [intransitive/transitive, never progressive] to understand somethingsee why/what/who/how:I think I see the problem here.
see (that):I see why you're angry.
can't/don't see why/what/that:No one could see he was to blame.
I can't see that it matters who does it.
see what someone means:He didn't see what all the fuss was about.
"It's not fair to go without him." "Yes, I see what you mean."
5) [transitive] to consider someone or something in a particular waysee someone/something as something:This was seen as an attempt to fool the voters.
see things differently (from someone):He seems to see me as a threat.
A scientist sees things differently from an artist.
6) [transitive, never progressive] to imagine someone or somethingsee someone as something:see someone/something doing something:Can you really see her as the president?
see yourself:I just can't see them winning the game.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
7) [intransitive/transitive, never progressive] to find something outsee (that):As we saw in Chapter 2, the reasons for the war were complex.
see who/what/why:If you read his report, you'll see that he recommends a cautious approach.
see if/whether:I'll go and see what he wants.
He went back to see whether they needed any help.
8) [transitive, never progressive] to experience somethingThis little girl has seen so much misery in her time.
9) [transitive] if a place or a period of time sees an event, the event happens in that place or during that timeThe region has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the war.
10) [transitive] to go with someone because you want to make sure that they arrive somewheresee someone home:see someone across the road:Can I see you home?
see someone to the door (= when they leave a building):I'll see him across the road.
My secretary will see you to the door.
11)a) [transitive] in a card game, to bet the same amount of money as another playerI'll see your 20 dollars.
b) to bet the same money as another player and to make them show their cards•as/the way someone sees it
— spoken according to someone's way of thinking about a situationAs I see it, you have no choice.
(I'll) be seeing you
— spoken used for saying goodbye to someone who you know, when you are not sure when you will see them againI'll/we'll have to see
— spoken used for saying that you are not able to decide now"How long can you stay?" "I'll have to see."
now I've seen everything/it all
— spoken used for saying that you find something very shocking or surprisingA child divorcing his parents? Now I've seen it all!
see?
— spoken used for making sure that someone is paying attention to what you are saying and that they understand itYou press this button first, see?
see something coming (a mile off)
— spoken to notice or realize that something is going to happenI can't believe he resigned. I just didn't see it coming.
The jokes were all so obvious you could see them coming a mile off.
spoken to realize that someone is very easy to trick or cheatsee someone coming (a mile off)
— British
They charged you £50 for that? They must have seen you coming!
see someone/something for something
— to realize what someone or something is really like, especially when this is worse than they appear to beI can now see him for the liar he really is.
He finally saw her for what she was.
see how it goes/things go
— spoken used for saying that a decision about a situation will be made after allowing it to develop for a period of timeYou may need extra help with this – we'll see how it goes.
see if/whether you can do something
— spoken to try to do somethingI'll see if I can find out what he's up to.
see the last of someone/something
— to never see or hear about someone or something againI don't think we've seen the last of this controversial figure.
see reason/sense
— to change a decision because you realize that you are wrongMaybe now they'll see reason and scrap the project.
see that someone does something/that something is done
— spoken to make sure that someone does something or that something happensCan you see that everything's ready in time?
see your way (clear) to do something
— spoken used when you are asking someone if they would be willing to do somethingCould you see your way clear to lending me a fiver?
see what someone is (really) made of
— to find out how good or strong someone really isGo out there and let them see what you're really made of!
- I see- see you- you seePhrasal verbs:- see in- see off- see out- see over- see toSee:
II UK [siː] / US [sɪ] noun [countable]
Word forms "see":
singular see plural seesan area that a bishop or archbishop is responsible for
English dictionary. 2014.