relate
gb/ɹɪlˈeɪt/ us/ɹɪlˈeɪt/
A2
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
understand and sympathize
To understand how someone feels because you have had a similar experience.
Usage pattern:
to relate to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'relate to' (meaning understand/identify with) with 'be related to' (meaning be connected by family).
Synonyms
empathize (Stronger focus on sharing or feeling another's emotions rather than just understanding.)
Antonyms
disconnect (Suggests a lack of emotional or experiential understanding.)
Collocations
relate to others
|easily relate
|personally relate
|relate well
Themes
emotions
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I can really relate to what you're going through right now.
- Many readers will relate to the main character's struggles.
- She found it hard to relate to people from different backgrounds.
Learner examples
- I can relate to your story.
- He relates to the boy in the movie.
- I do not relate to his ideas.
- Many students relate to the teacher's jokes.
Verb
B2
action
2
tell or describe
To tell someone about something that happened.
Usage pattern:
to relate [something] to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with 'connect' or 'be about' rather than 'tell'.
Synonyms
narrate (Often used for more formal or structured storytelling.)
Antonyms
conceal (To deliberately avoid telling about an event or information.)
Collocations
relate an incident
|relate in detail
|relate events
Themes
communication
|storytelling
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He related the events of the night to the police.
- The witness calmly related what she had seen.
- She related her travel experiences to the audience.
Learner examples
- He related the story to me.
- She related what happened at school.
- The man related his trip to Africa.
Verb
B2
action
3
connect or associate
To show how two things are connected.
Usage pattern:
to relate [something] to [something]
Synonyms
associate (Often used when linking ideas in the mind, not necessarily explaining a relationship.)
Antonyms
separate (To treat things as unconnected.)
Collocations
relate directly
|relate closely
|relate concepts
Themes
logic
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The study relates diet to overall health.
- She tried to relate the theory to real-life examples.
- These findings relate closely to previous research.
Learner examples
- The teacher relates math to games.
- I can relate this idea to my work.
- The report relates the problem to poor planning.
Verb
A2
action
4
be connected by family
To be part of the same family as someone.
Usage pattern:
to be related to [someone]
Synonyms
kin (More formal or old-fashioned term for family connection.)
Antonyms
unrelated (Having no family or blood connection.)
Collocations
closely related
|distantly related
Themes
family
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Are you related to the famous singer?
- We are distantly related through our great-grandparents.
- She discovered she was related to him by marriage.
Learner examples
- I am related to him.
- They are not related.
- She is related to my mother.
Grammar
Dictionary form
relate
IPA
GB/ɹɪlˈeɪt/
US/ɹɪlˈeɪt/
Syllables & stress
re - late (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (late)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: relate
- 3rd Person Singular: relates
- Present Participle: relating
- Past: related
Word family
Forms
relates
verb
relating
verb
related
verb
Core family
Related words
relatively
adverb B1
relatable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unrelated
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
relational
adjective
relativity
noun C1
Expressions
be related to
1/bˈi ɹɪlˈeɪtɪd tə/
fixed phrase
have a family connection with someone
To be part of the same family as someone.
Examples
- She is related to my father through marriage.
- Are you related to anyone in this town?
relate back to
1/ɹɪlˈeɪt bˈæk tə/
phrasal verb
connect back to earlier cause/event
To connect something now with something that happened before.
Examples
- His problems at work relate back to his lack of training.
- The discussion related back to last week's meeting.
relate to
1/ɹɪlˈeɪt tə/
phrasal verb
understand and sympathize with someone
To understand how someone feels because you have had a similar experience.
Examples
- I can relate to your frustration about the delay.
- Many students relate to the pressure of exams.
relate well to
1/ɹɪlˈeɪt wˈɛl tə/
fixed phrase
interact easily with understanding
To have good communication and understanding with someone.
Examples
- Good teachers relate well to their students.
- He relates well to people from all backgrounds.