realize

Related to realize: realise

Of course, you realize this means war!

A declaration of all-out revenge made after being slighted or injured by another party. Usually used humorously. Popularized by the Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, likely in reference to The Marx Brothers. A: "Sarah told the Bobby that you were allergic to his cat so that she'd have a shot at dating him." B: "She did what?! Why, that no-good, rotten… Of course, you realize this means war!" So, they think they can push us around with their lawsuits, eh? That we'll just roll over and let them have our property? Well, of course, you realize this means war!
See also: mean, of, realize, this

realize (one's) potential

To perform to the utmost of one's abilities; to find as much success as is possible for one. "Potential" is often modified by "full" or "true." I wish you would realize your true potential instead of wasting your talents in this dead-end job. I've decided to start training with the Olympic team so I can realize my full potential.
See also: potential, realize

realize (something) from (something)

1. To come to some particular realization as a result of something else. I realized that she didn't love me from the look on her face. You should have realized from the way they were acting that they had no intention of honoring the agreement.
2. To achieve or obtain some profit or other gain as a result of some transaction or sale. We'll ensure you realize the largest possible return from your investment. The government realized a pretty sizable profit from the sale of its properties around the country.
See also: realize
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

realize one's potential

to fulfill one's potential; to do as well as one possibly can. I hope I can get a good education so lean realize my potential.
See also: potential, realize

realize something from something

 
1. to perceive something from some kind of evidence. I just now realized something from what you've been saying. Tom realized how wrong he had been from what Mary told him.
2. to reap a profit by selling an asset that has increased in value. He realized a large profit from the sale of the house. We hoped to realize a lot of money from the sale of stock.
See also: realize
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • big white chief
  • adulting
  • (one's) lord and master
  • as you do
  • believe it or not
  • bion
  • how the mighty are fallen
  • how the mighty have fallen
  • this just in
  • (I) would if I could
References in periodicals archive
Maxine has her snack, and then cleans her dishes, as well as any others in the sink, because she realizes that not everyone has the time.
Minnie and Maxine
At the end of the semester, students realize that the Gothic serves as a highly sophisticated means of questioning themselves, their culture, and their place in history.
Entertaining monsters: teaching the Gothic novel
Researchers realize that coaches provide instant access to research subjects, other coaches, and years of insight.
Becoming an "academic coach"
The student soon realizes that key signatures with the resulting sharps or fiats are the consequence of a consistent melodic sequence contained within a scale pattern.
Key signatures: do we teach them "backside-to-the-front"?
* In revenue ruling 2002-44 the IRS has provided two "fact patterns" that help explain when a taxpayer realizes a gain or loss on a short sale of stock.
Short sales. (Line Items)
Hybrid technology is gaining ground in automotive front-end development because it realizes cost, weight, and space savings not possible when plastic or metal are used alone (see PT, July '02, p.
'Collar joining' method makes plastic-metal hybrids. (Assembly)
A 120-bed facility can realize savings amounting to $18,000 a year.
Steps toward energy savings. (Feature Article)
I realize that many of my fellow survivors will not share, support or understand my way of healing.
My path to healing: only some 200 children from the 1,500 sets of twins and triplets used in medical experiments in Auschwitz during World War II survived. Eva Mozes Kor was one of them. In June 2001 she addressed a symposium at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, which nearly 60 years before had been in charge of the experiments. (Forgiveness)
He did not yet realize he had inadvertently shut down the T-45's engine.
Breakdown in the break. (Grampaw Pettibone)
"It's like, you may like Italian food, but you don't realize how much you like it until you've eaten it in Italy.
Saxman with Chops All His Own
For example, the research suggested that 64 percent of the 52 officers interviewed did not realize that the attack was about to occur.
Officers' Perceptual Shorthand
I also came to realize that I have to be tough about people or go down the tube.
The bottom line
"We cannot stop the threats nor can we ignore them--and we must realize that the threat is often the attack!
Security expert briefs BOMA on preparing for unseen enemy
It took us a year to realize that, while cuter than pink cashmere, we were lousy as a couple.
The editor's page
However, in order to achieve this goal it was necessary to realize large CPU power, required for speech recognition, and machine translation technology for interpretation, which are both exceedingly difficult to achieve on low-power multi-core processors for small devices such as mobile phones.
NEC Develops Speech-to-Speech Translation Software for Low Power Consumption Multi-Core Processors Optimal for Small Devices such as Mobile Phones