find
find — verb
1. to see, get back, or learn the position of someone or something, after looking f
to see, get back, or learn the position of someone or something, after looking for them or by chance.
Andrés found his train ticket stuck between the pages of a notebook.
find + object: discovering a lost item
Hugo searched the whole house but could not find his car keys anywhere.
negative form: could not find
Dewi found a small seashell on the sand near the water.
Amira hopes to find a part-time job at the library next semester.
find + abstract object: job / opportunity
Yan found a beautiful hiking trail while exploring the map of the area.
- find a job
- find your keys
- find your way
- find a solution
- lose
opposite meaning — to no longer know where something is
Grammar Patterns
find + noun phrase
Usage Note
Frequently used with a direct object that names the lost or sought item; also compatible with wh-clauses such as 'find where' or 'find how'. For ongoing search (before discovery), prefer 'look for' instead of 'find'.
Common Mistakes
2. to become aware of a fact or the existence of something through direct experienc
to become aware of a fact or the existence of something through direct experience, without necessarily having searched for it.
Noa found that drinking more water stopped her headaches in the afternoon.
find + that-clause: discovering a fact through experience
Arjun opened the drawer and found the old letters his grandmother had saved.
Anna found it surprisingly easy to ride a bicycle after ten years away.
find + it + adjective + to-infinitive: evaluating an experience
Caleb found the movie too long and walked out before the ending.
- find that + clause
- find it + adjective
- find something easy / difficult
- overlook
to fail to notice or realize
Grammar Patterns
find + (that) + clause
find + it + adjective + to-infinitive
find + object + complement
Usage Note
Often takes a that-clause (find that…) or a wh-clause (find why / how / what…). Also very common in the pattern find + it + adjective + to-infinitive, where 'it' is a placeholder for the real subject (the infinitive phrase).
Common Mistakes
3. to form a specific reaction or opinion about a person or thing based on what you
to form a specific reaction or opinion about a person or thing based on what you have directly seen, heard, or experienced.
Imani found the documentary about ocean pollution deeply upsetting but very important.
find + object + adjective
Diya finds her new manager very supportive and easy to talk to about problems.
find + someone + adjective phrase
Most viewers found the film boring because the story moved too slowly for two hours.
We found the hotel room clean and comfortable, so we decided to extend our stay.
The teacher found it surprising that her students had never heard of the civil rights movement.
find + it + adjective + that-clause
- find something [adjective]
- find someone [adjective]
- find it [adjective] that
Grammar Patterns
find + someone/something + adjective/noun
find + it + adjective + that-clause
Usage Note
The complement after the object is essential — you cannot say 'I find the film' without an adjective or noun completing the meaning. The 'it' pattern ('I find it strange that...') is very common in spoken English.
Common Mistakes
4. to exist, grow, or be available in a particular place — often used to describe w
to exist, grow, or be available in a particular place — often used to describe where plants, animals, objects, or features naturally occur.
These wild orchids are only found in the cloud forests of Central America.
passive: are found + location — describing where something exists
Mert was surprised to find deer living in the woods behind his house.
Rania said that starfish can be found on the rocks when the tide goes out.
modal: can be found + location — indicating expected presence
Sophia found fresh basil growing in a small pot on the kitchen windowsill.
Ancient cave paintings are found in several caves along the southern coast.
- be found in
- can be found
- are found on
- found growing
Grammar Patterns
be found + in/on/at + location
can be found + location
Usage Note
Typically used in the passive voice (is / are found) or with the modal can / could. The active form implies a discoverer who encounters the thing, while the passive simply states its existence in that location.
5. to succeed in reaching a place or getting to a destination, especially when the
to succeed in reaching a place or getting to a destination, especially when the route is not obvious.
After getting lost twice, Bilal finally found the entrance to the old temple.
find + the entrance: reaching a destination after difficulty
Feng used a compass to find his way through the thick forest.
find + possessive + way: find one's way to a place
Rachid could not find the keyhole in the dark without a light.
Xiu followed the river downstream and found a bridge that crossed to the village.
- find your way
- find the entrance
- find the exit
- find the path
- lose (your way)
opposite meaning — to fail to stay on the correct route
Grammar Patterns
find + noun phrase (way / path / exit / route)
Usage Note
Commonly used with possessive determiners in the phrase find + one's way / path / route. The object is usually a location, exit, or opening — not an abstract goal.
Common Mistakes
6. used when a person becomes part of a situation, place, or activity and only late
used when a person becomes part of a situation, place, or activity and only later notices it, having not planned to be there.
After the argument, Élise found herself sitting alone on a bench in the park.
find + oneself + verb-ing: unintentional action
Sade moved to London and soon found herself working at a busy children's hospital.
Ada started a small blog and found herself overwhelmed by the sudden attention.
find + oneself + adjective: unintentional emotional state
Ingrid left the party early and found herself completely alone on the dark street.
- find yourself doing
- find yourself in
- find yourself + adjective
- end up
informal, implies the final result after a series of events
- wind up
informal, similar to 'end up' but more conversational
- realize you are
more literal and less idiomatic
Grammar Patterns
find + oneself + present participle
find + oneself + adjective
find + oneself + prepositional phrase
Usage Note
Always used with a reflexive pronoun (find myself / yourself / himself / herself / ourselves / themselves). The complement after the reflexive pronoun can be a present participle (verb-ing), an adjective, or a prepositional phrase describing a place or state.
Common Mistakes
7. to notice and point out things that are wrong with someone or something, often i
to notice and point out things that are wrong with someone or something, often in an unfair or overly critical way.
Christopher was always finding fault with his younger sister's cooking.
collocation: find fault with someone
The inspector found several serious problems in the building's electrical wiring.
collocation: find problems in something
Maeve kept finding spelling mistakes in every email her assistant sent out.
Sumin's supervisor found no errors in the report and praised the careful work.
Benjamin always found something wrong with the hotel rooms his wife booked.
- find fault with
- find mistakes in
- find problems in
- find errors in
- praise
opposite — to express approval or admiration
- compliment
opposite — to say something positive
Grammar Patterns
find + fault + with + noun phrase
find + mistakes/problems/errors + in + noun phrase
Usage Note
Most commonly used in the fixed phrase find + fault + with, or with find + mistakes/problems/errors + in. The tone is often negative and implies the critic is being too strict or looking deliberately for flaws.
Common Mistakes
8. to travel, try new experiences, or change your way of living so that you learn w
to travel, try new experiences, or change your way of living so that you learn what kind of person you truly are and what you really want from life.
Christopher traveled through India for a year, hoping to find himself through meditation and new experiences.
find + yourself + through/by + activity
Salma quit her corporate job and hiked in the Andes for six months to find herself.
infinitive of purpose: to find yourself
Liang found himself through volunteer work — his true passion was helping others rebuild after disasters.
Many young people take a year off to travel and find themselves before university.
The painter said that living alone in a mountain village helped her find herself.
- find yourself through [activity]
- go somewhere to find yourself
- need to find yourself
- discover oneself
more formal; slightly more intellectual in tone
- find one's purpose
more specific — focuses on life direction rather than overall character
Grammar Patterns
find + yourself + through/by + activity
go/do something to find yourself
Usage Note
Reflexive: the object is always 'yourself', 'himself', 'herself', 'myself', etc. Frequently used in the context of a major life change such as travel, a career shift, or time spent in solitude.
Common Mistakes
9. (of a judge, jury, or court) to officially decide and declare someone's legal st
(of a judge, jury, or court) to officially decide and declare someone's legal status after examining all the evidence in a trial, for example whether they are guilty or not.
The jury found the defendant guilty of stealing money from the children's charity.
find + someone + guilty of + crime
Hari was found not guilty because the police had no real evidence against him.
passive: be found not guilty
The court found the company liable for selling unsafe products to elderly customers.
After a long trial, the judge found her guilty of fraud and gave her an eight-year sentence.
The Supreme Court found the new voting law unconstitutional and blocked it immediately.
find + something + adjective (unconstitutional)
- find someone guilty
- find someone not guilty
- find someone liable
- be found [verdict adjective]
Grammar Patterns
find + someone + adjective (guilty/not guilty/liable)
be found + adjective
Usage Note
Frequently passive: 'was found guilty / not guilty'. The object complement is almost always a legal-status adjective: guilty, not guilty, liable, negligent, innocent. Do not confuse with 'find' meaning 'discover' — this sense is restricted to formal legal contexts.
Common Mistakes
find out
phrasal verbto discover information or learn a fact, especially by making an effort to get the knowledge.
Kasia called the museum to find out what time the exhibition opened on Sunday.
Ilan found out that his cousin had won the writing competition when he saw the news online.
find against
phrasal verbTo make a legal decision that someone is wrong or guilty.
The court found against the defendant in the case.
Did the judge find against the company?
find for
phrasal verbTo make a legal decision that someone is right or not guilty.
The jury found for the plaintiff after a short deliberation.
In the end, the court found for the accused.
find your feet
idiomto become confident and comfortable in a new situation or environment, after an initial period of uncertainty.
It took David a few months to find his feet at the new school in Taipei.
find common ground
idiomto discover shared interests, opinions, or experiences that form a basis for agreement or friendship.
The two politicians found common ground on education funding despite their other differences.
to be willing or kind enough to do something, especially forgiving or helping someone despite feeling hurt or angry.
Rachid could not find it in his heart to turn away the homeless family on a cold night.
to reach a place or arrive in a situation, often by a natural or unplanned process.
The stray cat somehow found its way to the back door of the kitchen every morning.
all found
idiomYou get free meals and a place to sleep in addition to your pay.
The farm job offered £500 a week all found.
Did the advertisement say the position was all found?
To keep looking for mistakes or things to complain about someone or something.
Maya's teacher always finds fault with her homework.
Why do you find fault with every suggestion I make?
To be able or willing to do something, especially something kind or forgiving.
Can you find it in your heart to forgive your brother?
He couldn't find it in himself to attend the party.
To meet someone who is as good as or better than you at something.
Sara thought she was the fastest runner until she met her match in Diego.
In the debate, Brian finally found his match in the new student.
To become able to speak or express your opinion, especially after being shy or silent.
After years of silence, the activist finally found her voice.
The shy boy found his tongue when asked about his favorite book.
find your way (to…)
idiomTo discover the correct path to a place.
Can you find your way to the new library?
Even without a map, she found her way home.
To arrive at a place or situation by chance or without planning.
The old photograph found its way into a museum.
How did that rumor find its way to the principal?
Impossible to find or see anywhere.
I looked for my keys, but they were nowhere to be found.
The police were nowhere in sight during the accident.
To accept someone as they are without trying to change them.
When you meet new colleagues, take them as you find them.
She takes people as she finds them and never complains.
find — noun
1. something valuable, useful, or impressive that someone discovers, often when the
something valuable, useful, or impressive that someone discovers, often when they were not expecting it — for example, unearthing a rare book at a market stall, or discovering an unusually talented performer in a local café.
The old painting that Valentina bought at a garage sale turned out to be a real find.
collocation: a real / quite a find for an unexpectedly good discovery
The young goalkeeper from Senegal was a remarkable find for the national team.
collocation: a remarkable find for a talented person discovered
Archaeologists described the bronze statue as the find of the decade.
pattern: the find of the [time period] for a major discovery
The little bakery near Walid's apartment was a lucky find on his first morning there.
The handwritten letters inside the old suitcase were an amazing find for the family historian.
- real find
- lucky find
- remarkable find
- amazing find
- incredible find
- the find of the century
- the find of the decade
- the find of the year
- discovery
more formal and neutral; 'find' adds enthusiasm and suggests personal involvement
- gem
informal, often for a person or hidden treasure; suggests something rare and delightful
- bargain
specifically about paying a low price; narrower than 'find'
- prize
suggests something won or earned, not necessarily stumbled upon
- loss
opposite in outcome — something valuable that disappears or is missed
Grammar Patterns
a/an + (adjective) + find
the + find + of + [time period]
Usage Note
Always requires a determiner (a, the, that, this) and is typically modified by a positive adjective (real, lucky, amazing, remarkable, incredible). Not used for ordinary, everyday discoveries — 'I found my keys' would NOT be expressed as 'a find'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- findernounB2
- findingnounB1
- findingsnoun (plural)B1
- findableadjectiveC1
- unfindableadjectiveC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
'Find' is the most general and neutral word for the act of discovering something, whether by deliberate search or pure chance. 'Discover' is more formal and often implies finding something new, important, or previously unknown — you discover a hidden talent, but you find your car keys. 'Locate' suggests a methodical, intentional search for a specific target and is commonly used in technical or official language (locate the source of the problem). 'Encounter' emphasizes the unexpected nature of the meeting and is often used with people, problems, or situations rather than objects (encounter a former classmate, encounter resistance). 'Come across' is the informal, everyday equivalent of 'encounter', strongly implying chance — you come across an old photograph while cleaning out a drawer. 'Spot' means to notice something quickly with your eyes, usually something small or easy to miss in a busy visual field (spot a deer in the woods, spot a typo in the report). In daily conversation, 'find' is the default; the alternatives add specific nuances of formality, intentionality, or mode of perception.
Common collocations
Nouns
- find time
- find energy
- find courage
- find comfort
- find a way
- find answers
- find a balance
Adverbs
- find easily
- find quickly
- find eventually
- find unexpectedly
Phrases
- find it hard to
- find it difficult to
- find it easy to
- find pleasure in
- find solace in
- find strength to
- find the will to
Prepositions
- find in
- find at
- find on
- find among
- find by
Etymology
Find comes from Old English 'findan' (to come upon, discover), from Proto-Germanic *finþaną and further from Proto-Indo-European *pent- (to go, pass) — the original sense was literally 'to come upon by going'. Over centuries, the verb expanded from physical discovery (finding a lost object) to abstract meanings (finding something true, finding someone guilty). The noun sense of 'a valuable discovery' emerged in the early 19th century.