judge 1 of 2

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

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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 2

verb

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

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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
The concerted verbal assault on Williams, a Democrat who served as a prosecutor and public defender in Miami before becoming a federal judge in 2011, has been striking. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025 In some cases, opposing attorneys figure out what happened and notify the judge. ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025
Verb
The Alameda Wine Competition has four parts: one that judges wines made strictly from Alameda County fruit, a second that welcomes blends from all over California, a third that focuses on exclusively sauvignon blanc and a fourth that does the same for zinfandel. Laura Ness, Mercury News, 13 May 2025 Redick understood he’d be judged by wins and losses in the NBA coaching seat. Jovan Buha, New York Times, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • So does the Senate parliamentarian, a sort of referee over what Congress can and can't do according to its own rules.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025
  • Had the referees correctly called a foul on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s buzzer-beating 3-point attempt in Game 4, the Pistons wouldn’t have faced elimination on Tuesday in Manhattan.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Witness testimony in the second murder trial of Karen Read will not occur on May 13 as expected, a court spokesperson announced.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • An initial legal filing by the Department suggested that, due to a court injunction, married borrowers on IDR would soon have to include their spouse's income regardless of tax filing status.
    Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • The California State Parks Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving California’s state park system, decided to make its first-ever top 10 list after receiving hundreds of queries over the years about the best parks to visit, Norton told The Tribune.
    Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 17 May 2025
  • The regular-season series saw the Checkers edge the Bears 4-2-1-1, with four games decided by a single goal.
    Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Bernie Madoff Bernie Madoff, infamous for the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history, lost a personal net worth estimated at $823-$826 million before his 2008 downfall.
    Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
  • That’s dramatically quieter than the 75 decibels that retailer Tractor Supply Co. estimates as the volume of an average push mower.
    Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • And most key is that Abby is part of something much larger, which Ellie and Dina do not understand going into this at all.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Redick understood he’d be judged by wins and losses in the NBA coaching seat.
    Jovan Buha, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Deborah is thinking of Ava but can’t bring herself to say it.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 9 May 2025
  • But, not surprisingly, what gamblers think and what 133 cardinals decide can be completely different.
    Jim Sergent, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • Bill Miller was the home plate umpire for Friday night's game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025
  • Throughout this season, there will be a few thousand fewer strikes because of how the umpires are judged.
    Eno Sarris, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • There are 18 federal magistrate judges, who oversee bond hearings, arraignments and pre-trial criminal and civil matters, among other duties.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
  • As mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia once sat as a parking magistrate for a day.
    Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 5 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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