ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dawned

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdɔnd// UK //dˈɔːnd// dawned

v. to become clear or understood by someone for the first time. You use it when you suddenly realize something that you did not see before.

v. to become evident or understood by the mind. Often used in the third person with 'on' or 'upon' to indicate the person who has the realization.


SIMPLE

It finally dawned on me that I had lost my keys.

CONTEXTUAL

As the sun rose, it dawned on the hikers that they had taken the wrong path at the fork.

COMPLEX

The gravity of the situation only dawned on the committee after the final financial reports were released, revealing a deficit far larger than anyone had anticipated.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically used in the construction 'it dawned on [someone] that...'.

Pitfall

I dawned that I was late.It dawned on me that I was late.The person having the realization is the object of the preposition 'on', not the subject of the verb.

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