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

To address the issue, the scientists created a single material that can trap microplastics across multiple scales. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026

The integration work scales by multiplication, and multiplication is how budgets and timelines die. — Terry Oroszi, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

The different colored pants are a brutal look, and opting to go with scales for the tops and not the bottoms was an odd choice. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

But with countries like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, weighing the scales, there are several countries with passports that are much more limited. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026

The fund and the retail crypto buyer are operating from the same psychology at different scales. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Take your moment in the spotlight and shine bright by completely covering yourself in sequins and reflective scales. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026

Brown bullheads lack scales and spend much of their lives near lake bottoms, raising the possibility that cancer cells could spread through sediment or water. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Books are now asked to function simultaneously as texts and as lifestyle objects, and designers are now tasked with imagining multiple scales of reach simultaneously, from the bookstore table to the phone screen. — Madelyn Johnson, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

Verb

High-speed charging serves as a pivotal selling point for Hongqi as the brand scales its global footprint across Europe and the Middle East to take on traditional legacy automakers. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026

When planning is coordinated, investment becomes more efficient, projects move faster and innovation scales more quickly. — Andreas Schierenbeck, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Compute Flexibility This means designing infrastructure that scales elastically with AI workloads rather than provisioning for peak demand and leaving expensive capacity idle. — Shiv Kaushik, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

The list scales up or down depending on the hike, but the categories stay the same. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

That trademark indecision of summer takes root in her words and spreads through the music until her vocals diverge in the chorus, peeling like a clementine’s skin as one shrill line scales upward and the other remains monotone. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026

Interest rate hikes remain on the table, at a time when investors are flying blind as the Federal Reserve scales back its communication. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 17 July 2026

The workload scales with the square of the number of digits (n2, where n is the number of digits in the numbers being multiplied). — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

Skeptics doubt the model scales to studio budgets, and some top creators are rejecting Hollywood deals entirely, choosing to release original work directly on YouTube. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026