INDEX:
1. to notice someone or something
2. to not notice something
3. good at noticing things
4. something that is easy to notice
5. to make people notice you
RELATED WORDS
pay or get attention : ↑ ATTENTION
not pay any attention to someone or something : ↑ IGNORE
see also
↑ REALIZE
↑ SEE
◆◆◆
1. to notice someone or something
▷ notice /ˈnəʊtɪs, ˈnəʊtəs/ [intransitive/transitive verb not in progressive]
to realize that something is there or that something is happening, when you see it, hear it, or feel it :
▪ ‘Julie’s home.’ ‘Yes, I noticed her bicycle outside.’
▪ Do you notice anything different about my hair?
notice (that)
▪ As she was about to leave, she noticed that the kitchen window was open.
▪ Dominic took a huge slice of cake, hoping no one would notice.
▪ I noticed that he was rather quiet during dinner.
notice how/when/where etc
▪ Did you notice what he was wearing?
▪ She was worried that her boss would notice how long she had been gone.
notice somebody doing something
▪ I was about to leave when I noticed someone coming up the driveway.
▷ can see/can tell /kən ˈsiː, kən ˈtel/ [verb phrase]
to know that something is true, because you notice signs that show you this :
can see/can tell (that)
▪ We could tell that she had been crying.
▪ I can see you’re not really enjoying this.
▷ I see /aɪ ˈsiː/ [verb phrase] spoken
say this to mention something that you have noticed :
I see (that)
▪ I see that the new De Niro movie is playing this weekend.
▪ I see you’ve been working out.
▷ spot /spɒtǁspɑːt/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to see something or someone that is difficult to notice, or something or someone that no one else notices :
▪ I’m glad you spotted the mistake before it was too late.
▪ If you spot Mom and Dad coming, warn me.
▪ I dropped my keys in the grass, but luckily Jim spotted them.
spot somebody doing something
▪ Police finally caught up with Serrano when he was spotted eating in an Upper East Side restaurant.
difficult/easy to spot
▪ She won’t be difficult to spot -- she’s got pink hair and weighs about 300 pounds.
▷ become aware/conscious /bɪˌkʌm əˈweəʳ, ˈkɒnʃəsǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to gradually begin to notice something :
become aware/conscious (that)
▪ I slowly became aware that I was the only woman in the bar.
▪ He became conscious that everyone in the room had suddenly gotten quiet.
become aware/conscious of
▪ It wasn’t until after the game that he became aware of the bruises on his legs.
▪ She became conscious of a growing amount of hostility between them.
▷ catch somebody’s eye /ˌkætʃ somebodyˈs ˈaɪ/ [verb phrase]
if something or someone catches your eye, you notice them and like them because they are interesting, attractive, or unusual :
▪ I was walking through the market when a beautiful dress caught my eye.
▪ Wright caught the eye of filmmaker Spike Lee, who featured him in a jeans commercial.
▷ detect /dɪˈtekt/ [transitive verb]
to notice something that is difficult to see, hear etc, especially because it is very small, faint, or unclear :
▪ Marlowe detected a faint smell of perfume as he entered the room.
▪ She wasn’t moving or responding, but he detected a slow heartbeat.
▪ Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice?
▪ The system is so sensitive that it can detect changes in temperature as small as 0.003 of a degree.
detection /dɪˈtekʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ A Geiger counter is designed for the detection of minute differences in radio activity.
▷ note /nəʊt/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to notice a fact or detail and remember it, because it tells you something about a person or because it might be useful to you in the future :
▪ I noted her habit of looking at the floor whenever I asked her a question.
note how/when etc
▪ He chatted to her, noting how her face reddened every time Ian’s name was mentioned.
note that
▪ Note that the compound is more stable at high temperatures.
could/can not help but note that
▪ I couldn’t help but note that Jenny doesn’t phone or call around to see you anymore.
it should be noted that
▪ It should be noted that the witness did not recognize the defendant.
▷ observe /əbˈzɜːʳv/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
to notice something as a result of watching or studying it closely :
▪ I didn’t observe anything out of the ordinary about her behaviour that day.
observe that
▪ Psychologists observed that the mice became more aggressive when they were put in smaller cages.
observation /ˌɒbzəʳˈveɪʃ ə nǁˌɑːb-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ I have learned much about child psychology from the observation of by observing my own children.
▷ perceive /pəʳˈsiːv/ [transitive verb not in progressive] formal
to notice something, especially something that is difficult to notice :
▪ Although Jane thought her father seemed anxious and uneasy, Susan did not perceive any change in his looks or ways.
perceive (that)
▪ The prime minister will only resign if he perceives there is no other way out of the crisis.
▪ If they perceive that a military challenge threatens their country’s interests, they will not hesitate to fight.
2. to not notice something
▷ not notice /nɒt ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
▪ ‘Does Alex like your new hairstyle?’ ‘He didn’t even notice.’
▪ I saw Mike in town but he didn’t notice me.
not notice (that)
▪ He was so wrapped up in his studying that he didn’t notice that the phone was ringing.
▪ She didn’t notice her jewelry box was missing until after the police had left.
not notice how/who/what etc
▪ We were so busy we didn’t notice how late it was.
▷ miss /mɪs/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to not notice something because it is difficult to see :
▪ She missed the exit and had to turn around.
▪ Jo spotted a mistake that everyone else had missed.
▪ It’s easy to miss the entrance - the sign is hidden behind a tree.
▷ overlook /ˌəʊvəʳˈlʊk/ [transitive verb not in progressive]
to not notice something because you have not been careful enough :
▪ They found some important evidence that the police had overlooked.
▪ Make a list of what you need to bring so you don’t overlook anything.
it’s easy to overlook somebody/something
▪ The Hotel les Tipaniers, practically hidden between two much larger hotels, is easy to overlook but worth finding.
▷ fail to notice /ˌfeɪl tə ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase not in progressive] written
to not notice something, especially when this could have a serious result :
▪ Atkinson failed to notice the car ahead of him was parked and drove straight into the back of it.
▪ They were not prepared for his second heart attack, having failed to notice the warning signs.
▪ There was a growing resentment among inmates which the prison authorities had either failed to notice or just ignored.
▷ escape somebody’s notice /ɪˌskeɪp somebodyˈs ˈnəʊtə̇s/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if a fact escapes somebody’s notice, they do not notice it, especially when they should have noticed it :
▪ This problem has completely escaped his notice.
▪ I’m amazed that there are so many restaurants in Tucson that have completely escaped my notice over the years.
▷ unnoticed /ʌnˈnəʊtɪst, ʌnˈnəʊtəst/ [adverb]
go/pass/escape etc unnoticed
happen without anyone noticing :
▪ The death of the former movie star passed unnoticed.
▪ There were a lot of people at the party, which made it easy for Gary to slip away unnoticed.
▪ Gradual hearing loss often goes unnoticed until substantial damage is done.
▷ unseen /ˌʌnˈsiːn◂/ [adverb]
secretly, without being seen :
▪ The royal couple arrived unseen in an unmarked car.
▪ He managed to creep out of the house unseen and slip out through the garden.
3. good at noticing things
▷ observant /əbˈzɜːʳvənt/ [adjective]
good at noticing things :
▪ Men aren’t very observant about things like hair or clothes.
▪ An observant reader has pointed out an error on page 26.
▪ She was insightful and observant, constantly surprising her parents by what she noticed.
▷ perceptive /pəʳˈseptɪv/ [adjective]
good at noticing and understanding situations or people’s feelings :
▪ I like her novels - she’s so perceptive about people’s relationships.
▪ He was a perceptive and sophisticated man who was sensitive to other people’s weaknesses.
▷ not miss much also not miss a trick British /not miss a thing American /nɒt mɪs ˈmʌtʃ, nɒt mɪs ə ˈtrɪk, nɒt mɪs ə ˈθɪŋ/ [verb phrase] spoken
if you do not miss much or do not miss a trick or a thing, you notice a lot about what is happening and what other people are doing or feeling :
▪ ‘I think Alison and Peter are getting pretty friendly with each other.’ ‘You don’t miss much, do you?’
▪ He’s still pretty sharp for an old man - he doesn’t miss a thing.
▪ We tried to keep it secret from Mum, but you know she doesn’t miss a trick.
▷ eagle-eyed /ˌiːg ə l ˈaɪd◂/ [adjective only before noun]
an eagle-eyed person is very good at noticing everything that people do or how they behave :
▪ The hotel was run by an eagle-eyed old man who knew everything about all the guests.
▪ Two eagle-eyed reporters noticed the politician leaving a prostitute’s house.
▷ have eyes in the back of your head /hæv ˌaɪz ɪn ðə bæk əv jɔːʳ ˈhed/ [verb phrase]
if someone has eyes in the back of their head, they notice everything that is happening around them, even when they do not seem to be paying attention :
▪ When you’re looking after a two year old, you need to have eyes in the back of your head.
▷ powers of observation /ˌpaʊəʳz əv ɒbzəʳˈveɪʃ ə n ǁ-ɑːb-/ [noun phrase]
how good someone is at noticing things :
▪ Keith would make a good detective -- he has excellent powers of observation.
▪ Her drawings displayed astonishing powers of observation.
4. something that is easy to notice
▷ obvious /ˈɒbviəsǁˈɑːb-/ [adjective]
a fact that is obvious is easy to see or realize :
▪ She tried to look grateful, but her disappointment was obvious.
it is obvious (to somebody) that
▪ It’s obvious that Paul is in love with Liz.
▪ It was obvious to everyone that Gina was lying.
obviously [adverb]
▪ The doctor said he wants Ann to come back for further tests and she’s obviously very worried.
▷ noticeable /ˈnəʊtɪsəb ə l, ˈnəʊtəsəb ə l/ [adjective]
easy to notice :
▪ After two days there was a noticeable improvement in his health.
▪ The new supermarket has had a noticeable effect on people’s shopping habits.
it is noticeable that
▪ It was noticeable that no one at the party was under 40.
noticeably [adverb]
▪ The upper branches of the tree are noticeably lighter in color.
▷ conspicuous /kənˈspɪkjuəs/ [adjective] formal
someone or something that is conspicuous is very easy to notice, especially because they look very different from everyone or everything around them :
▪ It was a small country town, and Lauren looked very conspicuous in her fashionable New York clothes.
conspicuously [adverb]
▪ Richmond was conspicuously absent from the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
▷ eye-catching /ˈaɪ ˌkætʃɪŋ/ [adjective]
eye-catching colours, designs, patterns etc are bright, attractive, and unusual, so everyone notices them :
▪ an eye-catching ad
▪ The posters come in several eye-catching designs.
▷ stand out /ˌstænd ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something stands out, it is easy to notice because it looks very different from everything around it :
▪ A yellow background will make the black lettering stand out.
▪ Joanna, a six-foot-three redhead, stood out in her small Iowa farm community like a palm tree in a cornfield.
stand out against
▪ The dark shapes of the trees stood out against the evening sky.
▷ you can’t miss it /juː ˌkɑːnt ˈmɪs ɪtǁ-ˌkænt-/ spoken
say this when you are telling someone how to get to a place that is very easy to find or to notice :
▪ Their house has a pink door. You can’t miss it.
5. to make people notice you
▷ get attention/attract attention /ˌget əˈtenʃ ə n, əˌtrækt əˈtenʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to try to make someone notice you, by doing something that they will notice :
▪ Young children sometimes behave badly simply in order to get attention.
get/attract somebody’s attention
▪ Phil was trying to attract the waiter’s attention.