JUDGE Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'judge' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of judge are conclude , deduce , gather , and infer . While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based. // judge people by their actions

Q: When could 'conclude' be used to replace 'judge'?

The words conclude and judge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning. // concluded that only the accused could be guilty

Q: How do 'deduce' and 'infer' relate to one another, in the sense of 'judge'?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization. // denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

Q: When is it sensible to use 'gather' instead of 'judge'?

In some situations, the words gather and judge are roughly equivalent. However, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications. // gathered their desire to be alone without a word

Q: When can 'infer' be used instead of 'judge'?

While the synonyms infer and judge are close in meaning, infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise . // from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

judge 1 of 2

noun

ˈjəj

Definition of judge next

as in referee

a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy their father always played the role of judge when there was a disagreement between the siblings

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as in court

a public official having authority to decide questions of law the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence

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judge

2 of 2

verb

as in to decide

to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) the committee will judge the case solely on the evidence

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as in to estimate

to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement considering the amount of dough we have, I judge we'll get about six dozen cookies out of it

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as in to understand

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information I judge that the girl has had a troubled relationship with her mother

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as in to think

to have as an opinion I judge that he knew what kind of woman she was when he married her

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word judge distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of judge are conclude, deduce, gather, and infer. While all these words mean "to arrive at a mental conclusion," judge stresses a weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based.

judge people by their actions

When could conclude be used to replace judge?

The words conclude and judge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conclude implies arriving at a necessary inference at the end of a chain of reasoning.

concluded that only the accused could be guilty

How do deduce and infer relate to one another, in the sense of judge?

Deduce often adds to infer the special implication of drawing a particular inference from a generalization.

denied we could deduce anything important from human mortality

When is it sensible to use gather instead of judge?

In some situations, the words gather and judge are roughly equivalent. However, gather suggests an intuitive forming of a conclusion from implications.

gathered their desire to be alone without a word

When can infer be used instead of judge?

While the synonyms infer and judge are close in meaning, infer implies arriving at a conclusion by reasoning from evidence; if the evidence is slight, the term comes close to surmise.

from that remark, I inferred that they knew each other

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of judge

Noun

Apparently the Queen of Country decided to abdicate the throne and pass on both crown and judge's chair to the next generation. —

Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2025 The Minneapolis federal consent decree is being reviewed by Judge Paul A. Magnuson, a senior judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota who was appointed by President Ronald Regan. —

Deena Zaru, ABC News, 7 Feb. 2025

Verb

Consider judging the front office at the end of 2025, not now. —

Andrew King, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025 But don’t judge a juice by its boxy, minimalist bottle—that isn’t Proem. —

Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for judge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge

Noun

Earlier in the season, Chase had expressed his frustration with the referees after a controversial call during the Bengals-Chiefs matchup in September.

— Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025
But as another Super Bowl plays out Sunday, people will take to their phones and blame the referees.

— Colin Fleming, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025