Definition of estimatenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb estimate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of estimate are appraise, assess, evaluate, rate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," 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

Where would appraise be a reasonable alternative to estimate?

The words appraise and estimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 can assess be used instead of estimate?

While the synonyms assess and estimate are close in meaning, 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

When might evaluate be a better fit than estimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to estimate, evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How are the words rate and estimate related?

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

a highly rated restaurant

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of estimate?

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 estimate
Verb
Recovery Room Direct estimates a starter room with one sauna and a massage chair at $3,000 to $12,000, a full contrast therapy suite with sauna, cold plunge and red light between $12,000 and $30,000, and a complete elite setup starting at $40,000. Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026 Both Ward and Landman estimate the couple spent around $1 million dollars for decor. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026
Noun
Evening sales achieved a 94 percent sell-through rate by lot and 99 percent by value, and the season’s hammer-price-to-low-estimate index reached 165 percent. Daniel Cassady For Artnews, Robb Report, 8 July 2026 The goal is to spread awareness so that people protect themselves from extreme heat that leads to more than 30 deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations every year, according to county estimates. Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for estimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for estimate
Verb
  • Vogue Business assessed the 64 shows and presentations published on Vogue Runway and contacted each brand to verify the findings (brands were given 48 hours to respond).
    Amy Francombe, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • Professionals must actively map where their risk truly lies, assessing counterparty exposure, income correlation, and cost repricing, rather than mistaking simplicity for safety.
    Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • Instead of being calculated on a per-worker basis like the minimum wage fee, the hospitality wage fee would charge each eligible hotel and entertainment venue a flat annual fee of $2,131.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Market capitalization is the total dollar value of a company’s outstanding shares of stock and is calculated by multiplying the current share price by the total number of outstanding shares.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • Treasury responded but did not address GAO's recommendation that the department develop a government-wide fraud estimation methodology.
    Brett Rowland The Center Square, Arkansas Online, 5 July 2026
  • In Hruska’s estimation, some of the fireworks for sale at roadside stands are simply too powerful for amateur use.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • The group has urged the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to evaluate the 37 biodiesel backup generators planned for the data center as a single pollution source and to conduct a complete health risk assessment before issuing approvals.
    Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • In 2004, a Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration had relied on to justify going to war.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Empathy and active listening appear among the 10 core skills employers value most, alongside analytical thinking, resilience and creativity.
    Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • But this view risks fetishizing embodiment and emotion, much the same way that previous generations valued reason and language to an outsized degree to prove that humans are distinct from animals.
    Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • Telecom figured that out first and the rest of the economy should take notes.
    Mushfig Aliyev, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • Roddey wants more money for schools and less for the city, figuring the city can make up funding through utility sales to incoming companies.
    John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • The mortgage process includes origination, application and underwriting fees, as well as charges for appraisals, title insurance, attorneys and other closing costs.
    Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • The appraisal caught up with conditions that had been building for years.
    Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The agency has required the building’s owner to hire a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation — a formal investigation to determine the cause of the structural failure.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • Residents can collect soil samples and deliver them to Boyle Heights City Hall and other locations for an evaluation of lead, arsenic, chromium and mercury levels.
    Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Estimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estimate. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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