Verbs for Cognition and Perception

to have some information about something

Do you know where the nearest gas station is?

to know something's meaning, particularly something that someone says

Can you help me understand this equation?

to translate spoken words or sign language from one language to another

She interpreted the speech for the audience in real time.

to fully understand something, especially something complicated

It took me a while to comprehend the complex mathematical theorem, but with practice, I finally understood it.

to find the answer to a question or problem

After hours of studying, she finally managed to figure out the complex math problem.

to arrest someone

The security guards were quick to apprehend the trespasser before he could escape.

to interpret or understand something that is difficult or unclear

Students may need to decipher complex scientific texts to grasp the concepts.

to have a sudden or complete understanding of a fact or situation

He realized his mistake at once after reviewing the report.

to become clear, evident, or understood, particularly after some time

As she listened to the lecture, the significance of the scientific breakthrough began to dawn on her.

(of thoughts and ideas) to come to someone's mind

It often occurs to me that I should call my parents more often.

to understand and make sense of something after giving it a lot of thought

The novel's intricate plot required readers to fathom the characters' motivations.

to successfully finish a task or project without giving up along the way

Despite facing numerous challenges, she saw through the construction project and completed it on schedule.

to understand something

The experienced negotiator quickly savvied the subtle cues in the conversation.

to know who a person or what an object is, because we have heard, seen, etc. them before

I immediately recognized her voice on the phone.

to deeply understand something

As a therapist, she strives to grok her clients' emotional experiences to provide effective support.

to understand something through thought or reasoning

After much thought, she discerned that his actions were motivated by jealousy.

to interpret a certain meaning from something

Lawyers often construe legal documents to understand their implications.

to be able to say who or what someone or something is

The detective easily identifies the suspect from the security footage.

to understand or become aware of something through thinking or consciousness

The child began to cognize the colors around them as they developed visual awareness.

to pay attention and become aware of a particular thing or person

I couldn't help but notice the beautiful sunset as I walked along the beach.

to gradually understand a concept, often accompanied by an emotional response

The impact of the tragedy slowly sank in as the community mourned.

to recognize and mentally separate two things, people, etc.

The detective could distinguish the authentic painting from the clever forgery.

to distinguish or identify between two things based on knowledge or familiarity

I know good coffee from bad just by the smell.

to have a type of belief or idea about a person or thing

He thinks that the restaurant serves the best pizza in town.

to notice a thing or person with our eyes

Did you see that shooting star just now?

to determine by a process of logical reasoning

From the evidence presented, the detective deduced the likely sequence of events.

to reach an opinion or decision based on available evidence and one's understanding of the matter

After observing the pattern of behavior, the detective could infer that the suspect was familiar with the victim.

to come together in a place, typically for a specific purpose or activity

Every Sunday, the family gathers for a meal at Grandma's house.

to grasp or comprehend something instinctively and without conscious reasoning

He could intuit that something was bothering his friend based on the subtle change in his demeanor.

to kiss and touch someone in a sexual manner

The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other and made out on the couch all night.

to realize through the senses

As she touched the fabric, she perceived its softness and knew it was made of silk.

any of the five natural abilities of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste

Sight is a sense that allows us to see the world around us.

to look at written or printed words or symbols and understand their meaning

I can read this book easily.

to carefully read something from start to finish, often with the purpose of identifying errors

She read through the manuscript, highlighting grammatical errors and suggesting improvements.