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

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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

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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

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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

The unclear nature of what exactly the deal covers means any actual efforts to enforce it would likely have to be litigated in court and left up to a judge to determine whether or not the deal applies. — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 In a stunning turn, a Sacramento Superior Court judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the K Street mass shooting murder trial of surviving suspects Dandrae Martin and Mtula Payton after jurors failed to reach verdicts on the remaining charges. — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

Verb

Now you’re judged on your children’s lunch boxes and whether your olive oil has a story. — Victoria Wolff, Washington Post, 26 July 2026 Better data for better sustainability The study argues that sustainability cannot be judged by recycled content alone. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for judge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge

Noun

Expanding access So, how can soccer broaden access and opportunity for female referees?

— Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
No referee can steal your choice No hostile song can drown your voice.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Definition of referee

Noun

In court Friday, prosecutors introduced messages from late 2024 and early 2025 that suggested increasing strain in the relationship.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 25 July 2026
As part of the merger delay agreement, Paramount also was also able to get the Writers Guild Of America (WGA) to drop its request for a preliminary injunction, which makes Paramount’s path forward in the courts a bit cleaner.

— Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of court

Verb

During Covid, when many people were indoors picking up new hobbies, Lloyd decided to lace up his running shoes and quickly fell in love with the sport.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
The Jayhawks, who were blown out by KSU’s Purple Reign by 19 points in Game 1 on Tuesday in Manhattan, only to win Wednesday in Topeka, trailed 12-0 five minutes into the deciding contest.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026

Definition of decide

Verb

In reality, the Mets lose much more money than any other MLB club, due to their payroll and a luxury tax bill estimated to be $120 million before any roster changes, according to Spotrac.

— Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
Video production tends to be especially costly – OpenAI’s Sora was estimated to cost $15 million per day in compute resources, which dwarfed any reasonable revenue model, especially with the collapse in engagement numbers and copyright litigation.

— Cortney Harding, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of estimate

Verb

Didymo in its nonblooming form occurs naturally in more water bodies than previously thought, and is native to the Intermountain West, including Idaho, according to Taylor.

— Hannah Smith July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
But a century ago, even the founding fathers were thinking about the future of this fruit.

— Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Definition of think

Noun

Replay clearly showed that wasn’t the case and Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming couldn’t believe the umpires saying there was a shove.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Caballero took an inning-ending called strike and Yankees manager Aaron Boone continued arguing with plate umpire Quinn Wolcott during the break.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of umpire

Noun

The state Legislature passed a law last year making magistrate judges nonpartisan.

— Adam Beam, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
Miguel Banuelos, a prisoner who walked away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in California and was captured in Tijuana, Mexico, was reported at large again after a Mexican magistrate released him, officials said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026

Definition of magistrate

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“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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