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

Mercantile scales and rusted bird cages are scattered across crowded shelves. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

The approval and absence of concessions have magnified speculation of Trump putting his thumb on the scales for Paramount CEO David Ellison’s plans to assemble a media conglomerate. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026

But treating the scalp disease, such as inflammation, scales, redness, and pain, comes first, according to Dy. — Sherri Gordon, Health, 13 July 2026

As the market scales and visibility increases, legislative frameworks are likely to follow. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

Maybe two or three groups of hoaxers out there at once, bumping into each other in the dark and scaring the scales off one another. — Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026

Many of the county's towns — Westminster, Sykesville, Mount Airy, Hampstead and Manchester — helped tilt the scales toward Psoras. — Gabriella Fine, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026

For Natalie to be the one to tame Nevaeh with a can of Mace seems to indicate that the scales have fallen from her eyes, but the Bowden children still find room to defy their parents. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026

For example, my team was able to develop and publish well-being scales in multiple languages that are free for anyone to download and use. — Doreen Samelson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Verb

As the Gulf scales its AI capabilities, advanced manufacturing facilities, and hyperscale data centre infrastructure, battery energy storage is emerging as a critical enabler of reliable, flexible, and resilient power systems. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 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

Technology adoption only scales when workforce models, training pathways and institutional knowledge evolve alongside it. — Frank Carnevale, Forbes.com, 10 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

That’s the high end, but the concept scales down to fit any budget. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026

In its fifth and final season, The Bear scales back down to its fundamentals and delivers a satisfying farewell to one of the most electrifying television series of the past decade. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 June 2026

This stacking architecture also scales up the capacity of individual cells. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2026