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 aftermath of the strike was still being assessed, according to Ukraine's statement, which Newsweek has been unable to independently verify. MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 The companies were assessed on recommendations along with detailed evaluations across six key areas, including professionalism, care of belongings, price and punctuality. Usa Today, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 The easiest way to do this is to assess whether your kitchen cabinets are warm (with red, yellow, or orange undertones), like cherry, oak, hickory, and pine; or cool (with gray undertones), like white oak, ash, maple, or birch cabinetry. Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025 Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza. Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assess
Verb
  • Comey received a slight boost in his case to plead his innocence earlier this week when a judge rejected federal prosecutors’ effort to impose broad restrictions on the evidence Comey can access ahead of trial.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The latest food shortage in Gaza began in March, when Israel ended a ceasefire and imposed a blockade on all aid that lasted eleven weeks.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Price contends the Jameson portion of the USGS report is outdate and inaccurate, pointing to a much more recent 2025 third-party review from Sproule ERCE energy consultants that estimates the Jameson basin could hold 9 billion net barrels of recoverable crude oil.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The first collision was estimated to have occurred at a speed of around 37 mph.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Blaylock was charged with felony injury to a child with serious bodily injury, court records show.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Both controllers charge when docked on the console, so there’s no battery swapping or extra charging cables to hide.
    Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mark Walter agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that values the NBA team at $10 billion, although that has not yet been approved.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Today the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation awards more than 70 scholarships valued at up to $15,000 each with funds augmented by corporate and individual donors.
    Margaret Buranen, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And yet, running away is often not the best way to succeed or survive, and so humans, like most other animals, evaluate and manage risks.
    Big Think, Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
  • After the two buddies flirtily chat about Bruce Springsteen with a few women, Sean and Jonah run into a burning building to evaluate the damage and help residents who are trapped in the blaze.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assess. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on assess

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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