verb
discovered
dih-SKUV-erd
Discovered (verb) means past tense and past participle of discover: to have found or come to know something that was previously unknown to you. Example: “I discovered the leak only when the ceiling stained.”
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of discover: to have found or come to know something that was previously unknown to you.
"I discovered the leak only when the ceiling stained."
"Researchers discovered the fungus growing on a single tree."
2
Past tense and past participle of discover: to have found something that already existed but was unknown to the wider world, such as a place, species or law of nature.
"The tomb was discovered by a farmer digging a well."
"Penicillin was discovered by accident."
3
Past tense and past participle of discover: to have noticed and brought forward someone with talent.
"She was discovered singing in a pub in Cork."
How to use discovered
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFound something or found something out.
When to use it
Neutral, but the 'discovered a land' use carries colonial baggage and is often reworded.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
newly discovered
discovered that
discovered by accident
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I _____ the leak only when the ceiling stained.
Etymology
From Old French descovrir, from late Latin discooperire 'to uncover', from dis- 'un-' plus cooperire 'to cover'.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for discovered
See all rhymes for discovered →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between discovered and invented?
You discover something that already existed and was waiting to be found, such as a planet, a species or a chemical element. You invent something that did not exist until someone made it, such as an engine or a vaccine formulation.
Can you say a country was discovered if people already lived there?
Only from the point of view of the arriving outsiders, and modern writing generally avoids it. Preferred wording names the perspective plainly, for example 'reached', 'arrived in' or 'was the first European to sight'.
What is the meaning of discovered?
"discovered" (verb) means past tense and past participle of discover: to have found or come to know something that was previously unknown to you.
What is another word for discovered?
Other words for "discovered" include found, found out, learned, uncovered, realised, located.
