When I was reading about the meanings of the word perceive, I found that it is used in different ways. For example, sometimes it could mean understand but in other contexts it could mean realize, so I am a little confused because I do not know if it is exactly interchangeable with the words understand and realize or not.
Learn English – When to use the word perceive
synonymsword-meaningword-usage
Related Solutions
If I go to the movie theater for a 1pm showing of 'the Hobbit' and tickets are sold out for that showing, but there are still tickets for the 3pm showing, then a friend of mine might
want to wait for the next showing (3pm). This means he really desires to wait two hours.
but someone else in our group might
not be willing to wait, which means they really want to leave and probably will, which could be big trouble if he's the one with the car and we don't have another way to get home.
On the other hand the second person might say he's willing to wait. This doesn't usually express a strong desire to wait, but at least he will wait, rather than leave. It can mean that he prefers to leave, but that he'll wait just because the others want to stay and wait.
So willing to wait can show a reluctance to wait. But wanting to wait definitely expresses the desire to wait.
- It is not waterproof. That is the only thing that is bad about it.
This is the most natural sounding phrase. There is only one thing that is bad about it. You state the bad thing, and reiterate that it stands alone as being a fault.
- It is not waterproof. That is everything that is bad about it.
Everything means all of the things of a group - it refers to the collection, and the collection normally has more than one item within it. While it isn't horribly wrong, and would be understood, I would not use this.
- Every thing vs. everything
Every thing highlights each of the things as it's own entity, rather than as a collective. Imagine if I said Make sure every thing is put away. I am acknowledging that different things have different repositories, and asking for the listener to exercise care that each item is treated with care. 999 of the 1000 items being stowed, is NOT every thing.
Contrast with Make sure everything is put away. Now I am not focusing on these objects as separate things. As a collection, I want them put where they go. And if I put away 48 of the 50 things that were out, I might be OK saying I put away everything.
I can picture a circumstance where I would use every thing in your phrase.
A: Tell me everything that is wrong with this backpack.
B: It isn't waterproof.
A: I asked you to tell me everything that is wrong with it.
B: "That is every thing."
That is everything I have to say about this.
Best Answer
Perceive refers to the capacity of perception through your senses. You can perceive something through one or more of your senses, that is seeing, smelling, touching, hearing or tasting.
But to perceive something doesn't necessarily imply that you understand or realize it:
However, there are instances when you may assimilate the perception to an understanding, for example definition #2 from American Heritage Dictinary of the English Language: