assess

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb assess differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of assess are appraise, estimate, evaluate, rate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

Where would appraise be a reasonable alternative to assess?

Although the words appraise and assess have much in common, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

When would estimate be a good substitute for assess?

In some situations, the words estimate and assess are roughly equivalent. However, estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

When is evaluate a more appropriate choice than assess?

The synonyms evaluate and assess are sometimes interchangeable, but evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How do rate and estimate relate to one another, in the sense of assess?

Rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

How are the words value and appraise related as synonyms of assess?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

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 assess The Texas Air National Guard deployed giant MQ-9 drones on June 6 to gather high-resolution images and assess the impact of the flooding in Texas’ Hill Country. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 8 July 2025 The company, led by Jamie Gamache and Connor O’Hara, is the first production company working on feature films to receive the certification, which assesses a company’s operations and designates businesses that are socially and environmentally conscious. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 July 2025 Crowe, an audit company that currently works with Barcelona, assessed that the €100m the Catalans received from Middle Eastern investors for the sale of the VIP seats can’t be counted as an asset because the actual seats had not been built yet. Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 8 July 2025 Asia-Pacific markets swung between gains and losses overnight, however, as investors assessed Trump's latest tariff threats on 14 trading partners. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for assess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assess
Verb
  • Trump has set a July 9 deadline for imposing reciprocal tariffs, but trade talks have run into obstacles including discussions over duties on farm goods, steel and car parts.
    Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
  • In early 2025, the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Canadian lumber, pushing duties as high as 35%.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • In 1988, the value of the 48-piece set was estimated at $500,000.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
  • In the United States, it is estimated that 100,000 wolves were killed for their pelts each year between 1870 and 1877, according to the International Wolf Center.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Robert Herrera, 52, of San Antonio, was charged with making threats against the president and interstate threatening communications, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
  • Anthony was eventually charged that October after giving a variety of explanations about Caylee’s whereabouts and lying that her daughter had been kidnapped by a nanny.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • The origin of creativity, from brain to book, film, canvas, or ProTools, is less valued or seen as unique, because the same thing can be done anywhere, by anyone.
    Shain Shapiro, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • What’s the difference between something being emotionally true and factually true, and what should be valued more?
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • There is a sit-down period to evaluate yourself and understand something.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 July 2025
  • Following an owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, in February, Manfred said MLB would be evaluating the interpretation of federal law.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assess. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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