I stayed home last night to be able to receive your call.
Source: tatoeba (17947)
Receive
/ɹɪˈsiːv/
Synonyms for "receive" (260 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (52)
Strong matches (78)
Noun(11 words)
collectingcommunecommuningfieldfield of animal studiesfield of chemistryfield of sportsfield of study optionsfielding groundersfielding questionsfields
Verb(17 words)
come bycopencounterenfeoffenlistentertainedentertainsexperiencefangfieldedfindgaingarnerget hold ofget one's hands ongreetgreeted
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (130)
Verb(27 words)
gripgripegrosshailharvesthavehave coming inhearholdhold withhome in onhome onhugidentifyimmitin totoincliningincludeincorporateinherit
Show 76 more words
intromitlay hands onlay hold oflearnlet inlodgelootmakemapmark paidmeetmeet withnailnetnipnip upnodnod assentnumber amongobtainoccupypalmpartakepick uppillagepinpointpocketpollpossessprofitpullpull downput faith inreceiptreckon amongreckon inreckon withscansecureseizeset store bysnap upsnatchspotstealsubscribe tosuffersustainswallowsweeptaketake by assaulttake by stormtake for grantedtake hold oftake intake into accounttake into considerationtake kindly totake ontake on faithtake on trusttake overtake possessiontake stock intake upthrow open totriggertrusttune inundergovote forwelcomewhip upyesyield assent
Adjective(1 words)
welcoming culture
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: get, obtain, acquire, welcome, abide.
- Sentence evidence is available for receive, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "receive".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "receive"
Keep "receive" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "receive" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "receive", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "receive" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
24 entriesShowing 16 of 24 words.
More specific
4 entriesreceive guestreceive instructionreceive paymentreceive visitor
Collocations
6 entriesreceive a letterreceive feedbackreceive instructionreceive mailreceive newsreceive payment
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriessimilar
6 entriesTranslations
31 translations across 25 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- ontvang verb (to take possession of)
Arabic
1 entries- اِسْتَلَمَ verb (to take possession of)
Armenian
1 entries- ստանալ verb (to take possession of)
Bulgarian
1 entries- получа́вам verb (to take possession of)
Catalan
1 entries- rebre verb (to take possession of)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 收 verb (to take possession of)
Czech
3 entries- dostat verb (to take possession of)
- obdržet verb (to take possession of)
- přijmout verb (to take possession of)
Dutch
1 entries- ontvangen verb (to take possession of)
Finnish
2 entries- ottaa vastaan verb (to take possession of)
- saada verb (to take possession of)
French
1 entries- recevoir verb (to take possession of)
Galician
1 entries- recibir verb (to take possession of)
German
2 entries- empfangen verb (to take possession of)
- erhalten verb (to take possession of)
Hindi
1 entries- लेना verb (to take possession of)
Hungarian
1 entries- megkap verb (to take possession of)
Italian
1 entries- ricevere verb (to take possession of)
Japanese
1 entries- 受け取る verb (to take possession of)
Korean
1 entries- 받다 verb (to take possession of)
Māori
1 entries- whiwhi verb (to take possession of)
Norman
1 entries- r'chéver verb (to take possession of)
Portuguese
1 entries- receber verb (to take possession of)
Romanian
1 entries- primi verb (to take possession of)
Russian
2 entries- получа́ть verb (to take possession of)
- получи́ть verb (to take possession of)
Spanish
1 entries- recibir verb (to take possession of)
Swahili
1 entries- pokea verb (to take possession of)
Swedish
2 entries- motta verb (to take possession of)
- mottaga verb (to take possession of)
Sample sentences
26 total sentences available.
Now that we are established in our new house we shall be glad to receive visitors.
Source: tatoeba (22889)
We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Source: tatoeba (29100)
The law enables us to receive an annuity.
Source: tatoeba (43996)
Showing 4 of 26 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "receive"?
Closest matches include get, obtain, acquire, welcome, abide.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "receive"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.