Synonyms of scales

scales 1 of 4

noun (1)

plural of scale

as in balances

a device for measuring weight

I hate getting on the bathroom scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

• balances
• gravimeters

scales

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of scale

as in plates

a small thin piece of material that resembles an animal scale

scales of mica were embedded in the granite

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plates
• sheets
• lamellae
• chips
• laminae
• slivers
• flakes
• slices
• leaves
• splinters
• splints

scales

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural of scale

1

as in hierarchies

a scheme of rank or order

a student who scored very highly on a standard intelligence scale

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hierarchies
• ladders
• rankings
• series
• graduations
• orderings
• levels
• sequences
• arrays
• distributions
• food chains
• degrees
• setups
• situations
• arrangements
• stations
• positions
• disposals
• reaches
• footings
• dispositions
• places
• pecking orders
• statuses
• rungs
• spots
• standings
• echelons

2

as in ranges

the distance or extent between possible extremes

with the scale going from one to ten, what did you think of the movie?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ranges
• spectra
• diapasons
• widths
• stretches
• gamuts
• dimensions
• spreads
• measures
• scopes
• amplitudes
• pitches
• realms
• reaches
• sweeps
• extents
• compasses
• ambits

scales

4 of 4

verb

present tense third-person singular of scale

as in measures

to find out the size, extent, or amount of

scaled the logs to get a rough idea of the amount of usable lumber they were likely to yield

Synonyms & Similar Words

• measures
• gauges
• weighs
• spans
• assesses
• estimates
• judges
• computes
• ascertains
• figures
• calibrates
• evaluates
• calipers
• values
• quantifies
• sums
• calculates
• marks (off)
• determines
• quantitates
• tallies
• appraises
• totals
• figures out
• lays off
• guesses
• finds out
• adds up
• works out
• ciphers
• conjectures
• valuates
• guesstimates
• discovers
• supposes
• reckons
• dopes (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of scales

Noun

Between a school of banggai cardinalfish, a single juvenile emperor angelfish cut through, its deep blue scales segmented by white, vein-looking striations. — John Donegan Long Beach Post, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026

The milestone marks a significant step in humanity’s effort to understand how galaxies form, evolve and interact on the largest scales. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Their wings are covered with tiny scales that give them their colors and patterns. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2026

This is how autonomous manufacturing scales—choose one process, learn what works exceptionally well, reproduce that advantage everywhere and sell the advantage. — Dhanush Bakthavatchalam, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

While the former describes the universe on scales of planets, stars and black holes, even demonstrating how galaxies and galaxy clusters formed, the latter describes the counterintuitive physics found on scales smaller than atoms. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Gulf countries are building up local car industries at varying scales. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026

The state attorney in Tallahassee must file criminal charges against all involved in this public fraud and fiasco, if the scales of justice are truly impartial. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026

America’s illusion of security under the wing of the military-industrial complex may be reinforced, but the true scales of justice remain off balance and unaccounted for. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026

Verb

The cost of resolving each case scales alongside the growing volume of incidents. — Dave Glaser, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

To quantify this effect, the team modeled the drop as a conducting sphere hovering over a conducting wall, then calculated how the field strength scales with distance. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

The hope is that as the infrastructure matures and costs come down, commercial activity increasingly scales alongside it. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

If the technology scales as planned, the plant could provide more than a new source of electrolyte materials. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Rather than reinventing that formula, the Max 4 scales it up dramatically for users printing items ranging from large cosplay parts to functional prototypes to industrial-style engineering components. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026

Circle Garden Chives frame the quadrants of this circle garden, and a clematis scales the central trellis. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026

The stormy painting conjures the first moments of In the Hand of Dante, as the titular character, portrayed by Oscar Isaac, scales perilously steep steps to what seems an impenetrable stronghold. — A.d. Amorosi, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026

After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026