realize, realise
(verb)
LISTEN
If you realize something, it means that now you understand something that you didn’t understand before.
- When I looked at my watch, I realized that I was late for work.
- You're Sharon's husband? I didn't realize that!
To realize is to do something that you always wanted to do.
- Last year I realized my ambition and became an actor.
Did you know?
Realize is spelled with a z in the US and an s (realise) in the UK. This is true of many verbs that end in -ize or -ise. For example, in the US people use analyze, categorize, and standardize. In the UK, they normally write analyse, categorise, and standardise.
In pop culture
Listen for the word realize at the end of the song “Cruella De Vil,” from the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians. In the song, the character Roger Radcliffe describes Cruella De Vil, a cruel and evil woman.
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