discover, realize, behave, blame, spread: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Intermediate set 81. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. discover · verb/dəˈskəvər/

   to learn something that you did not know or to find something by research

   She was unhappy to discover that she was pregnant as she felt it was not the right time.

   Synonyms: find, uncover, learn

   Origin: Middle English (in the sense ‘make known’): from Old French descovrir, from late Latin discooperire, from Latin dis- (expressing reversal) + cooperire ‘cover completely’ (see cover)

2. realize · verb/ˈri(ə)ˌlaɪz/

   to become aware of or understand something

   The employee didn’t even realize that he was an hour late and walked into the meeting with a smile.

   Synonyms: understand, recognize, become aware

   Origin: early 17th century: from real, on the pattern of French réaliser

3. behave · verb/bəˈheɪv/

   to act in a specified way

   Children often learn how to behave by watching the adults around them.

   Synonyms: act

   Origin: late Middle English: from be-‘thoroughly’ + have in the sense ‘have or bear (oneself) in a particular way’

4. blame · verb/bleɪm/

   to say that someone or something is responsible for a problem

   It is obvious that the parents will blame the babysitter for her carelessness when they find out that the baby is injured.

   Synonyms: accuse, hold responsible

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French blamer, blasmer (verb), from a popular Latin variant of ecclesiastical Latin blasphemare ‘reproach, revile, blaspheme’, from Greek blasphēmein (see blaspheme)

5. spread · verb/sprɛd/

   to move or extend over a larger area or affect more people

   Chicken pox can spread rapidly through air, which makes it extremely contagious.

   Synonyms: extend, expand

   Origin: Old English -sprǣdan (used in combinations), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spreiden and German spreiten