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 eyes

She laughed when she saw the expression on his face.

see what/where/who:

Did you see who it was?

see (that):

I could see she was upset.

see someone/something doing something:

Didn't you see him talking to her earlier?

a) [intransitive/transitive] to be able to use your eyes to notice and recognize things

If the operation is successful, he will be able to see again.

see to do something:

It was too dark to see to read.

can't see a thing:

She can't see a thing without her contact lenses.

b) [transitive] to watch something such as a film or television programme

We 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 it

The border guard asked to see her passport.

2) [transitive] to meet or visit someone who you know by arrangement

Are you seeing Jane tomorrow?

see you (= I'll meet you):

See you at the station at 6 o'clock.

a) [transitive, never progressive] to meet someone who you know by accident

I saw David in town the other day.

b) [transitive] to have a business or professional meeting with someone

When can Mr Martin see me?

see someone about something:

She's seeing the doctor about her leg tomorrow.

c) [transitive] to spend time with a friend or member of your family

We still see each other a couple of times a month.

see more/less/a lot of someone:

I've been seeing a lot of my sister recently.

d) [transitive] to be visited by someone

Peter still isn't well enough to see anyone.

3) [transitive, always in imperative] used for saying where you can find more information

See chapter 12.

see above/below (= nearer the beginningend):

This contributed to the success of the Republicans (see above).

4) [intransitive/transitive, never progressive] to understand something

I think I see the problem here.

see why/what/who/how:

I see why you're angry.

see (that):

No one could see he was to blame.

can't/don't see why/what/that:

I can't see that it matters who does it.

He didn't see what all the fuss was about.

see what someone means:

"It's not fair to go without him." "Yes, I see what you mean."

5) [transitive] to consider someone or something in a particular way

see someone/something as something:

This was seen as an attempt to fool the voters.

He seems to see me as a threat.

see things differently (from someone):

A scientist sees things differently from an artist.

6) [transitive, never progressive] to imagine someone or something

see someone as something:

Can you really see her as the president?

see someone/something doing something:

I just can't see them winning the game.

see yourself:

Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

7) [intransitive/transitive, never progressive] to find something out

As we saw in Chapter 2, the reasons for the war were complex.

see (that):

If you read his report, you'll see that he recommends a cautious approach.

see who/what/why:

I'll go and see what he wants.

see if/whether:

He went back to see whether they needed any help.

8) [transitive, never progressive] to experience something

This 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 time

The 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 somewhere

see someone home:

Can I see you home?

see someone across the road:

I'll see him across the road.

see someone to the door (= when they leave a building):

My secretary will see you to the door.

11)

a) [transitive] in a card game, to bet the same amount of money as another player

I'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 situation

As 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 again

I'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 surprising

A 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 it

You press this button first, see?

see something coming (a mile off) — spoken to notice or realize that something is going to happen

I 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.

see someone coming (a mile off) — British

spoken to realize that someone is very easy to trick or cheat

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 be

I 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 time

You may need extra help with this – we'll see how it goes.

see if/whether you can do something — spoken to try to do something

I'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 again

I 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 wrong

Maybe 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 happens

Can 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 something

Could 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 is

Go out there and let them see what you're really made of!

- be seeing someone

- be seeing things

- be seen to be doing something

- have seen it all before

- I don't see why not

- I see

- let me see

- not see beyond the end of your nose

- see the back of someone

- see both sides

- see for yourself

- see the light

- see someone right

- see what you can do

- see you

- see you later

- seen against something

- we'll see

- you see

- you'll see

Phrasal verbs:

- see about

- see around

- see in

- see off

- see out

- see over

- see through

- see to

See:

dead I, eye I, light I, red II, wood

II UK [siː] / US [sɪ] noun [countable]
Word forms "see":
singular see plural sees

an area that a bishop or archbishop is responsible for