JUDGE Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

judge 1 of 2

noun

ˈjəj

Definition of judge

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

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

as in to decide

to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) the committee will judge the case solely on the evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in to understand

to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information I judge that the girl has had a troubled relationship with her mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to think

to have as an opinion I judge that he knew what kind of woman she was when he married her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

It was quickly challenged again in court, with a judge temporarily preventing it from moving ahead while considering a long-term block. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 New Mexico's attorney general is asking a judge to force two county sheriffs to terminate their agreements with ICE. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

It was conducted on a dedicated testbed, and human engineers still established the safety boundaries and judged the results. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 Banks, judging by their own lending behavior, are not ruling that out. — Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for judge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge

Noun

Casual comments that harm former colleagues and employers do not disappear when the following day’s newspapers are thrown in the bin, yet hang around forever to cause untold damage to all referees’ reputations.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The new rules mandated that referees stop play for a ten-minute hydration break that allows players to drink fluids, change clothes, or shower in their locker room.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of referee

Noun

The draw looks pretty good for Paul to get to a possible fourth-round matchup with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who is returning to the singles court for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in April.

— Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
For many of her fans, the practice court offered a chance to see her up close for free.

— Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of court

Verb

Kushner for his part emphasized in his note this week that FIFA’s members would ultimately have decided whether to participate.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
The two companies decided to change the way the figurines were auctioned to avoid the gouging narrative.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of decide

Verb

Prosecutors alleged that Donna was one of the masterminds behind Markel’s murder, helping to fund the contract killing, which was estimated to cost even more than $100,000, according to court documents obtained by CNN.

— Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
National debt service is estimated to account for more than 25% of government expenses for fiscal year 2026.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of estimate

Verb

By studying who farts more, who farts less and how flatulence changes with diet, researchers aim to understand how microbes respond to different foods and why some people can tolerate high-fiber diets comfortably while others struggle with gas.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Scientists have long sought to understand the link between climate change and El Niño.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of understand

Verb

The work could also help researchers study other materials where strong electron interactions are thought to play a role, including high-temperature superconductors.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
There have been some limited cases in which noncitizens have been criminally charged for voting or attempting to vote, including in Michigan, but it's been rare and not thought to have altered the outcome of any elections.

— Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of think

Noun

Crossing behind the umpire and catcher is considered a form of respect for the game, the opposing team, and the officials.

— Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Royals Manager Matt Quatraro gets tossed after umpires reverse a run scoring balk taking away a run from the Royals.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of umpire

Noun

The Islamabad district magistrate appointed a multiagency fact-finding committee with directions to submit a report within 24 hours.

— CBS News, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
The Islamabad district magistrate appointed a fact-finding committee and asked it to submit a report within 24 hours.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of magistrate

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Style

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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