find

find1 [ faınd ] (past tense and past participle found [ faund ] ) verb transitive ***

▸ 1 discover (by searching)

▸ 2 get something

▸ 3 experience emotion etc.

▸ 4 have as opinion

▸ 5 make formal decision

▸ 6 have enough of something

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) to discover something or see where it is by searching for it:

The police have found a weapon.

Illegal drugs were found in the singer's luggage.

I can't find my shoes!

a ) to discover something by chance:

Everyone dreams of finding something valuable in the attic.

I finally found that CD I've been looking for!

b ) to discover or notice something:

We arrived to find the house in darkness.

find someone doing something: I found her wandering the streets in a complete daze.

c ) to discover a fact or piece of information:

We hope to find the answers to some of these questions.

No explanation for this phenomenon has yet been found.

d ) to suddenly discover or realize something:

find (that): I put my hand into my pocket and found I'd left my keys at home.

e ) be found if something is found in a particular place, it lives, grows, or exists there:

a rare flower found only in the French Alps

The lowest rates of smoking are found in people aged 60 or over.

Specialty foods can be found at your local delicatessen.

2. ) to get something:

Have you found a place to live yet?

find work/employment/a job: It is very difficult for young people in this area to find work.

3. ) to experience an emotion that you have not experienced in the past:

He found happiness late in life with his second wife.

Doug finally found the courage to speak.

a ) to experience something in a particular way:

find something difficult/frightening/relaxing etc.: William now finds walking very difficult.

find someone attractive/irritating etc.: Men always found her extremely attractive.

4. ) to have something as an opinion because of things you have noticed or experienced yourself:

find (that): I find that children need a lot of encouragement.

5. ) to make a formal decision about something after listening to all the facts:

find (that): The court found that the company was in breach of its contract.

find someone guilty/not guilty: He was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.

find in someone's favor (=decide that someone is right): After three hours of deliberation, the jury found in our favor.

find against someone (=decide that someone is wrong): The court found against the plaintiff.

6. ) if you find the time or money to do something, you have enough time or money to do it:

We have to find some extra money by Friday.

I never seem to find time to read these days.

find its way

if something finds its way somewhere, it is in that place but you do not know how it arrived there:

Somehow the letter had found its way onto my boss's desk.

find your feet

to start to feel confident and able to deal with something

find yourself somewhere or find yourself doing something

to realize that you are in a place or doing something without really intending or planning to:

Later that evening I found myself back at Jason's apartment.

I found myself agreeing with everything she said.

find your way

if you find your way somewhere, you manage to get to that place:

She managed to find her way home.

,find `out phrasal verb

1. ) intransitive or transitive to discover a fact or piece of information:

We may never find out the truth about what happened.

find out who/what/why: The police are determined to find out who killed Louise.

find out (that): Her parents found out that she had a boyfriend.

find out about: I don't want anyone else to find out about this.

2. ) transitive find someone out to discover that someone has been dishonest or deceitful:

It was only a matter of time before someone found him out.

find

find 2 [ faınd ] noun count *

something good, interesting, or valuable that you find by chance:

The statue could be one of the finds of the century.

a real find: Our new babysitter is a real find.