A common suffix that you'll see at the end of some English verbs is "-ize". In this lesson, we'll look at 20 useful everyday verbs that use this suffix.
Before learning the verbs, it's important to know the pronunciation of "-ize" for speaking purposes. The suffix "-ize" is pronounced the same as your body part "eyes" is pronounced, so "materialize" sounds like "material-eyes", for example.
Here is the list of 20 verbs that use this suffix:
Materialize: the subject noun is a thing that becomes real
She hoped her dreams of becoming an artist would materialize one day.
Symbolize: the subject noun represents something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
In many cultures, the color white symbolizes purity.
Capitalize (on something): the subject noun takes advantage of the object noun
The company capitalized on the new market trends to increase its profits.
Prioritize: the subject noun identifies something as a priority (high importance)
You should prioritize your tasks in order to manage your time effectively.
Finalize: the subject noun completes or concludes something.
The team worked late to finalize the project.
Visualize: the subject noun creates a mental image in their mind of something
Athletes often visualize their performance before a competition.
Modernize: the subject noun makes something more modern/updated.
The city plans to modernize its public transportation system.
Energize: the subject noun gives energy or vitality to the object noun.
The motivational speaker energized the audience.
Stabilize: the subject noun makes something more stable or becomes more stable itself
The medication stabilized her condition.
Her condition stabilized as a result of the medication
Digitalize: the subject noun converts information into a digital format.
The library is going to digitalize its collection of rare books.
Legalize: the subject noun makes something legal (allowed by law)
There is a debate about whether the government should legalize gambling.
Revitalize: the subject noun gives new life or vigor to something.
Drinking a glass of water can revitalize your body after exercising
Maximize: the subject noun increases something as much as possible
If you want to maximize your productivity, try to eliminate any distractions.
Minimize: the subject noun reduces something to the smallest possible amount
The new software update is going to minimize viruses and improve performance.
Authorize: the subject noun gives official permission for something.
My manager has to authorize all vacation requests from employees.
Familiarize: the subject noun makes someone more familiar or knowledgeable about something.
As soon as I moved to my new house, I walked around to familiarize myself with my new neighborhood.
Emphasize: the subject noun gives special importance to something more than others
In her speech, she emphasized the need for peace all over the world.
Utilize: the subject noun uses something as effectively as possible
He utilized his management skills to lead his team successfully.
Optimize: to get the best possible result from something
I optimize my exercise routine to gain as much muscle and lose as much fat as possible
Publicize:Â the subject noun makes something widely known or promotes something publicly
The company is currently publicizing their new brand of sports drink.
Practice
Choose the best option from the 3 underlined verbs to complete the sentence correctly:
The city council authorized/minimized/revitalized the city with new events for the public to attend.
We should visualize/legalize/capitalize on this good weather and go to the beach.
You can minimize/prioritize/emphasize the risk of injury if you always warm up before exercising.
The charity event was publicized/symbolized/minimized through social media.
The plans for the new park have finally modernized/materialized/stabilized. It's being built now.
Most companies want to familiarize/emphasize/maximize the number of customers they have.
Roses symbolize/energize/finalize love and romance for many people.
The government has familiarized/authorized/digitalized the construction of a new highway.
The government decided to symbolize/legalize/prioritize the use of medical marijuana.
She digitalized/prioritized/materialized her health over her job and quit because it was too stressful.
The legal team needs to visualize/symbolize/finalize the contract before the end of the month.
The coach visualized/revitalized/emphasized the importance of teamwork during practice.
They decided to modernize/familiarize/prioritize their kitchen with new appliances.
A good night’s sleep can legalize/symbolize/energize you for the next day.
I want to find a job where I can utilize/finalize/emphasize my English skills.
Many businesses are digitalizing/materializing/capitalizing their records to improve efficiency.
She tried to capitalize/stabilize/visualize her future career path and imagine what it would look like.
I optimize/authorize/revitalize the energy use in my home to reduce my energy bill every month.
The government took measures to legalize/finalize/stabilize the economy during the financial crisis.
New employees must prioritize/familiarize/publicize themselves with the company policies.
Answers
Choose the best option from the 3 underlined verbs to complete the sentence correctly:
The city council revitalized the city with new events for the public to attend.
We should capitalize on this good weather and go to the beach.
You cam minimize the risk of injury if you always warm up before exercising.
The charity event was publicized through social media.
The plans for the new park have finally materialized. It's being built now.
Most companies want to maximize the number of customers they have.
Roses symbolize love and romance for many people.
The government has authorized the construction of a new highway.
The government decided to legalize the use of medical marijuana.
She prioritized her health over her job and quit because it was too stressful.
The legal team needs to finalize the contract before the end of the month.
The coach emphasized the importance of teamwork during practice.
They decided to modernize their kitchen with new appliances.
A good night’s sleep can energize you for the next day.
I want to find a job where I can utilize my English skills.
Many businesses are digitalizing their records to improve efficiency.
She tried to visualize her future career path and imagine what it would look like.
I optimize the energy use in my home to reduce my energy bill every month.
The government took measures to stabilize the economy during the financial crisis.
New employees must familiarize themselves with the company policies
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