judge 1 of 2

noun

ˈjəj How to pronounce judge (audio)
Definition of judgenext
1
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

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2
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

1
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
2
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
4
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
By granting Trump’s request, the high court tossed out a district judge’s order, which temporarily blocked the president from enforcing the act against five Venezuelans who sued. —Jade Walker, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025 In January, military judges examining an appeal upheld the original death sentences. —Npr's International Desk, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
But the bad side is you get judged immediately by a bunch of strangers. —Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 27 Mar. 2025 Invitations were sent far and wide, and professors gathered from neighboring cities to judge her thesis. —Manuela Callari, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for judge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judge
  1. referee
  2. court
  3. decide
  4. estimate
  5. understand
  6. think
  7. umpire
  8. magistrate
Noun
  • Maurice Hinton admitted to a series of ethical violations in his guilty plea accepted by discipline case referee Judge Ori Silver and the state Supreme Court.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
  • With Dober not defending, referee Mike Beltran correctly waved off the contest.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of referee
Noun
  • Testimony from survivors of the camp was heard in court.
    — Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
  • All of that — all of that! — built up to something that was dismissed [in court] so easily.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of court
Verb
  • Then President Nayib Bukele decided enough was enough.
    — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • After 15 successful years together, the partners of Slate PR have decided to move forward on separate paths.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of decide
Verb
  • The researchers estimated a nearly 20% reduction in dementia diagnosis among those who were, by chance, vaccinated.
    — Christopher M. Worsham, Time, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The organization also estimated in 2020 that 20,000 children ages 6 to 17 in Texas either were currently in or were at very high risk for out-of-home or out-of-school placement because of their mental health needs.
    — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of estimate
Verb
  • IndieWire understands the festival was waiting to confirm Denzel Washington’s attendance, and indeed the star will be at Cannes.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • And like Bell, my bandmates and I understood why other artists were continuing to cancel their performances.
    — Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of understand
Verb
  • A couple years ago, fans even thought that Swift might make a cameo onthe medical drama, which is still on the air after 20 years.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Staying silent for a few seconds can make people think of you as smart.
    — Kathy and Ross Petras, Contributors, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of think
Noun
  • Twins manager tossed Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected from the game in the bottom of the sixth after arguing a pitch-clock violation call by home plate umpire.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The umpires called back-to-back balks on Gillaspie for stopping during his windup.
    — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of umpire
Noun
  • The factors and reasons for their release are solely determined by the appropriate authorities which is the magistrate or a judge.
    — Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Knight was detained ahead of trial on March 25, according to a court order signed by a U.S. magistrate judge.
    — Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of magistrate

Browse Nearby Words

judders
judge
judged
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Cite this Entry

“Judge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judge. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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