comprehend
/,kɔmpri'hend/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To understand the meaning or nature of something: To grasp mentally; to apprehend the significance, explanation, or cause of something.
- To include or encompass within a scope or range: To contain or include as part of a whole.
Usage
- To understand something intellectually or fully:
- It is difficult to comprehend the vastness of the universe.
- She could not comprehend why he had left.
- To include something as part of a broader whole (formal usage):
- The course comprehends all aspects of the subject.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- "To comprehend fully": To understand something in its entirety, leaving no part unexplained or misunderstood.
- One must study for years to comprehend fully the complexities of quantum mechanics.
- Used in negative constructions or questions to express difficulty or doubt in understanding.
- It's hard to comprehend how such a tragedy could happen.
Variants and Related Words
- Comprehensible (adj): Able to be understood; intelligible.
- The manual was written in clear, comprehensible language.
- Comprehension (n): The action or capability of understanding something.
- The students' reading comprehension was tested.
- Comprehensive (adj): Including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something; complete.
- She gave a comprehensive overview of the project.
Synonyms
- Understand: To perceive the intended meaning of.
- Grasp: To seize and hold firmly; to comprehend fully.
- Apprehend: To understand or perceive.
- Fathom: To understand (a difficult problem or an enigmatic person) after much thought.
- Encompass: To include comprehensively (for the 'include' sense).
Antonyms
- Misunderstand: To fail to understand correctly.
- Misinterpret: To interpret wrongly.
Related Phrases
- Beyond comprehension: Impossible or extremely difficult to understand.
- The cruelty of the act was beyond comprehension.
- Within one's comprehension: Able to be understood by someone.
- The basic principles are within the comprehension of a young student.
Verb
- include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
- This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds
- this should cover everyone in the group
- to become aware of through the senses
- I could perceive the ship coming over the horizon
- get the meaning of something
- Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?