Synonyms for detect
Definitions
- v. 1
To discover or notice, especially by careful search, examination, or probing.
On entering the room, I immediately detected the smell of gas.
Related words
- Word family
- detectable detector detection detective
Forms
- Past participle
- detected
e.g. detected → discovered, observed, discerned, ascertained…
Choose the right word
Of human actions or character, detect is used, almost without exception, in a bad sense; discover may be used in either the good or the bad sense, oftener in the good; he was detected in a fraud; real merit is sure to be discovered.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- discover How foolish I was not to discover that simple lie!
- observe Catholics could not openly observe their religion.
- ascertain We will first ascertain the cause of the disaster.
- discern It is hard to discern between the true and the false.
- smell I breathed the smell of the flowers in the garden.
By length
- 4 letters
- find1, espy2
- 5 letters
- catch1, smell1, scent1
- 6 letters
- notice2, expose2, descry2
- 7 letters
- observe2, discern2
- 8 letters
- discover3
- 9 letters
- ascertain3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (espy2 = 2 syllables).