judge 1 of 4

Definition of judgenext
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in court
a public official having authority to decide questions of law the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

judge

2 of 4

verb (1)

1
2
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

judges

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural of judge
1
as in referees
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in courts
a public official having authority to decide questions of law the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

judges

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of judge
1
2
as in estimates
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

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
That suit has since been dismissed, with a judge declaring the administration's orders to no longer be operational. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 1 July 2026 The move prompted several lawsuits, and a federal judge last week paused the implementation of the lower limits while the cases work their way through the court system. Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Verb
That sits uncomfortably with me — and, judging by the boos, with many fans in Foxborough. Cerys Jones, New York Times, 27 June 2026 The result is a single figure that lets a $25 trend piece and a $200 staple be judged fairly against each other. Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
Noun
The same judges have already handed down harsher sentences to eight people who were convicted at trial, including a former Marine reservist who received a 100-year prison term. Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The judges were desperately hoping that everything would go well. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Verb
Portnoy travels to cities around the world and judges their pizza scene by taking a single bite (or more) of a cheese pizza and giving it a review. Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 May 2026 American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan reacted to Seacrest’s on-air announcement with a mix of shock and confusion. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • As Cape Verde prepared its defense, the referee blew the whistle, meaning Messi could proceed.
    Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • Andy Davies, a referee who worked in the Premier League and Championship and was a Select Group referee for over 12 seasons, published a short analysis of the VAR process on this play for ESPN, saying that the review should never have taken place.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • Those arrested for criminal conduct must be held accountable in our court system.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 24 June 2026
  • The court was also shown a surveillance video from a day before the hearing where Porter was seen attacking a juvenile court staffer and trying to escape.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Both Swift and Kelce decided to forgo bridesmaids and groomsmen, per a statement shared with People.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • Later, Swift revealed that she was charmed by Kelce’s willingness to court her so publicly and decided to give him a chance.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Verb
  • It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
  • People magazine at the time estimated the wedding cost $1 million and noted the event included four bands and a fireworks show.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • When choosing a warranty, review the contract, check what is covered, and understand the claims process.
    Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • However, it is rarely used on mainstream weather maps and by TV meteorologists, who favor the heat index that has long reigned supreme and is easily understood by the public.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Everybody thought this match was going to be a walk in the park.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • There was at least one person who thought to protest over the situation.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Noun
  • On Monday night, Contreras was ejected in the second inning after a check-swing strikeout prompted him to give a sarcastic ABS challenge gesture at the umpire, earning an instant boot.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • First base umpire Nic Lentz ejected him in the second inning after Lentz ruled Contreras failed to check his swing on a Miles Mikolas pitch that ended up being a strikeout.
    CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • In May, a magistrate judge had recommended that the motion for damages should be granted, including $253,142 for emotional distress; $3,505 to pay for past treatment; and $340,200 to pay for future treatment; along with $1,193,694 in punitive damages, per court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
    Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • The case sat in limbo for a year before a federal magistrate judge denied Google’s request to toss the warrant in November 2024, agreeing with the Justice Department.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on judge

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster