What is Find in English? How is Find used in English?

Structure

Find + Noun + Noun/Noun Phrase

Meaning

Express an opinion or feeling about someone or something.

Example

The teacher found our team’s opinion a great one. 

Structure

Find + Noun + Adj

Meaning

Find is used with nouns and adjectives to describe someone's perception of the mentioned noun.

Example

Mary finds the film interesting. 

Structure

Find + it + Adj + to do something

Meaning

Find is combined with the dummy pronoun "It" to express how someone feels about doing something.

Example

I find it difficult to finish this task before Monday. 

Synonym

Meaning

Example

Discover

to be the first person to become aware that a particular place or thing exists

Mary discovered a hidden treasure in the cave. 

Uncover

to discover something that was previously hidden or secret

The archaeologists uncovered ancient artifacts at the site.

Locate

to find the exact position of somebody/something

Can you help me locate my lost phone?

Spot

to see or notice a person or thing, especially suddenly or when it is not easy to do so

Bob spotted a rare bird in the park. 

Detect

to discover or notice something, especially something that is not easy to see, hear, etc.

The detective was able to detect the criminal’s fingerprints. 

Identify

to recognize somebody/something and be able to say who or what they are

Can you identify the person in this photograph? 

Ascertain

to find out the true or correct information about something

They ascertained the cause of the problem.

Pinpoint

to find and show the exact position of somebody/something or the exact time that something happened

We need to pinpoint the exact location of the incident. 

Unearth

to find something in the ground by digging

They unearthed ancient ruins during the excavation. 

Retrieve

to bring or get something back, especially from a place where it should not be

I need to retrieve my files from the backup. 

Obtain

to get something, especially by making an effort

He obtained a copy of the report from the archives. 

Acquire

to gain something by your own efforts, ability or behaviour

Liz acquired valuable information from the research. 

Turn up

to be found, especially by chance, after being lost

The missing documents turned up in a drawer. 

Come across

to meet or find somebody/something by chance

I came across an interesting book at the bookstore. 

Encounter

to experience something, especially something unpleasant or difficult, while you are trying to do something else

We encountered unexpected challenges during the project. 

Detect

to discover or notice something, especially something that is not easy to see, hear, etc.

The scientist was able to detect a faint signal. 

Recover

to get well again after being ill, hurt, etc.

They were able to recover their lost belongings. 

Hit upon

to think of a good idea suddenly or by chance

He hit upon a brilliant idea for the new marketing campaign. 

Stumble upon

to discover something/somebody unexpectedly

They stumbled upon an abandoned house in the woods. 

Find

Found

Similarities

Find and Found are both verbs (with Found being the past form of Find) that both mean to discover or find something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to start something, such as an organization or an institution, especially by providing money

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

To win this contest, you must find a code hidden in that room

Susan donated money to found a wildlife refuge.

Find

Look for

Similarities

Find and "Look for" both mean to search for something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to hope for something; to expect something

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

I finally found my lost keys under the sofa. 

I need to look for my glasses; I can’t see without them. 

Find

Search for

Similarities

Find and "Search for" both mean to look for or seek something out.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to look carefully for something/somebody; to examine a particular place when looking for something/somebody

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

I couldn’t find Andrew’s phone number. 

The police are searching for the missing person in the area. 

Find

Seek

Similarities

Find and "Seek" both carry the meaning of searching for something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to look for something/somebody

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

After hours of searching, they finally found the missing dog in the neighbor’s yard. 

She seeks knowledge through reading and research. 

Find

Hunt for

Similarities

Find and "Hunt for" both carry the meaning of searching for something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to go after wild animals in order to catch or kill them for food, sport or to make money

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

I can’t seem to find my car keys anywhere. 

They went hunting for wild mushrooms in the forest. 

Find

Locate

Similarities

Find and "Locate" both carry the meaning of searching for something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to find the exact position of somebody/something

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

They found the perfect spot for a picnic by the lake. 

The GPS helped us locate the nearest gas station. 

Find

Look for

Similarities

Find and "Discover" both carry the meaning of finding or uncovering something.

Differences

Meaning

to discover somebody/something unexpectedly or by chance

to be the first person to become aware that a particular place or thing exists

Word class

verb, noun

verb

Example

She found her lost wallet under the couch cushions.

They discovered a hidden cave deep in the mountains.

The collocations of Find in English

Example

Find out (something)

She wanted to find out the truth about the accident. 

Find (something) out

He managed to find out the secret code. 

Find yourself somewhere (idiom)

After wandering through the forest for hours, they found themselves somewhere deep in the wilderness.

Find (the) time (idiom)

Despite his busy schedule, he always manages to find the time to exercise.

Find your way (phrase)

Even in the dark, she managed to find her way out of the maze. 

Find a way (idiom)

When faced with obstacles, she always finds a way to overcome them. 

Get/Find your bearings (phrase)

After getting lost in the unfamiliar city, it took him a while to find his bearings and figure out where he was. 

Find yourself

Sometimes, you need to take a break and find yourself before making big decisions. 

Find /Take shelter

When the rain started pouring, we had to find shelter under a tree. 

Find fault with someone/something (phrase)

He always finds fault with his coworkers, which creates tension in the office. 

Find your feet (idiom)

After a few weeks in the new job, she finally found her feet and started feeling comfortable. 

Find your tongue/find your voice (idiom)

In front of the large audience, she found her tongue and delivered a powerful speech. 

Find against sb

The jury found against the defendant, leading to a guilty verdict. 

Find your own level (idiom)

In a competitive environment, people often find their own level of competence.

Find in someone’s favor

The judge found in the plaintiff’s favor, awarding them compensation. 

Find out/see how the land lies (idiom)

Before making a decision, he wanted to find out how the land lies in the company. 

Find it in your heart to do something (idiom)

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my mistake.