discern
v.v. to see, hear, or notice something that is not very clear. You use this when you finally understand or recognize something after looking at it closely.
v. to perceive or recognize something with the senses or the intellect, especially when it is obscured or subtle. Often implies a successful effort to distinguish a specific detail from a complex background.
I could just discern a small light in the distance.
Through the thick morning fog, the captain could barely discern the outline of the approaching ship.
A trained eye can easily discern the subtle differences between an original painting and a high-quality reproduction that might fool a casual observer.
From Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere (“to separate, divide, distinguish, discern”), from dis- (“apart”) + cernere (“to distinguish”); see certain.
The verb is transitive and often takes a direct object or a 'that' clause.
- Verbdiscern
- Noundiscernment
- Adjectivediscernible