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

Relevance
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

3
4

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
During sentencing, the judge agreed that Brown did not appear to show any intent to cause harm to the victim. Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025 Known as a Spencer hearing, their lawyers presented evidence that could help sway the judge to not follow the jury recommendation, but instead impose a sentence of life imprisonment. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Verb
Each recipe was judged on taste, creativity, and use of Trader Joe’s products. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025 The event will feature a sasquatch calling contest judged by South Milwaukee Sam, the city's spokesasquatch. Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
Noun
  • Cunningham previously claimed she was also fined $500 for a TikTok that jokingly criticized WNBA referees.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
  • Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott made a similar move last year, bringing in longtime NFL referee John Parry.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • In court documents released on Monday (Aug. 4), and viewed by VIBE, Judge Arun Subramanian detailed his legal reasoning for keeping the disgraced Hip-Hop mogul in custody.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • He was given a five-year deferred sentence, according to court documents.
    Sean Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Padres will play just three more games—against the NL East-leading Mets, no less—before A.J. Preller decides exactly what strings to pull before Thursday.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
  • The 193-member U.N. General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025.
    Michelle Nichols, USA Today, 28 July 2025
Verb
  • Applying results from that study and other research to the recent CBO estimate allowed Gaffney and other researchers to estimate specific effects of losing coverage.
    TOM MURPHY, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2025
  • But those donations, estimated at around $20 million, ultimately amounted to too little, too late to cover the funding that CPB lost.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The tax world has always been a fascinating one – a mix of understanding personal needs of the taxpayers while navigating the ever-changing tax code that’s the result of political forces in the local and national economy.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • His office looks at the business' activities to understand what will take place on site.
    Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • But there came a time after that second ACL injury where Toure thought his football career might be over.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
  • Dougal is all brawn, and likes to take action before thinking.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • Home plate umpire Marvin Hudson got between Montgomery and Bochy, and tempers simmered after a few moments.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 30 July 2025
  • Plate umpire Edwin Moscoso correctly determined both were balls, but Schlittler’s gaze toward home lingered after the rulings.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • That history dates back to 1909, when the law in Oak Lawn was enforced by a village marshal, police magistrates and patrolmen.
    Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
  • Instead, the prosecutors want a third party, like a judicial magistrate, to decide whether a young person should be held.
    Mikenzie Frost, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on judge

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!