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

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

But the final juror voted to convict, and so, with the jury deadlocked, the judge declared a mistrial. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026 Though the judge had not yet ruled, no state wanted to have to fork over money for that privilege — especially considering Paramount had voluntarily offered that fee to Warner as a sweetener to secure the deal. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Verb

Rules set by the organizers, French sports outlets France Football and L’Equipe, set a deadline of July 19 — the day of the World Cup final — as the last day for players to be judged. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 He was seen on the CBS broadcast giving one of the side judges an earful. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for judge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge

Noun

And it was destined to fail, to do more harm than good, at the moment soccer’s lawmakers left both decisions entirely in the hands of referees.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of referee

Noun

Cazares’ far-off next court date, not until 2028, is not atypical, Meinecke said, given the backlog of cases in the fallout of the blitz.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
In March, the Trail Blazers were sold for $4 billion, while state and local lawmakers recently agreed on hundreds of millions in funding for a $600 million renovation of the Blazers’ home court.

— Brian Malarkey, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of court

Verb

With a conference showdown and bitter rivalry looming next week against Geneva, Batavia decided to open Friday night’s game with some fireworks.

— Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
If there's a disagreement about who did what, a judge will be asked to decide.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of decide

Verb

Stegra estimates that removing coal from the process can cut emissions by up to 95% compared to traditional blast furnace manufacturing.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Brunate estimated that footwear trade shows around the world charge an average of 300 euros to 450 euros per square meter, which would be about $32 to $48 per square foot.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of estimate

Verb

People with brain damage can lose the ability to understand or speak words yet still do math, play chess and compose music.

— George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
New York already understands the importance of making its cultural life more accessible, and Mayor Mamdani’s recent TDF initiative to give free tickets to high schoolers offers one model.

— Brian Beirne, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

During our time there, we were treated to a three-course chef’s tasting menu that was a paean to the summer; think a profusion of tomatoes, stone fruit, local soft cheeses, and edible flowers.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
For example, both the United States and China plan to build bases near the moon's south pole, which is thought to harbor large amounts of water ice.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of think

Noun

Well, things got testy as Shelton complained to the chair umpire about Zverev’s antics ahead of his serves.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2026
The umpire sent base runners back to their initial bases, but Heights coaches disagreed and argued that the runners should advance.

— Emily Ohman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of umpire

Noun

The magistrate then led the group through a tutorial of the different branches of government.

— Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
The magistrate said the possibility that the company dismissed Cheng as part of a genuine corporate restructuring could not be ruled out beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in an acquittal on the second count.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of magistrate

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Style

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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