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
During sentencing, the judge agreed that Brown did not appear to show any intent to cause harm to the victim. —Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025 Known as a Spencer hearing, their lawyers presented evidence that could help sway the judge to not follow the jury recommendation, but instead impose a sentence of life imprisonment. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2025
Verb
Each recipe was judged on taste, creativity, and use of Trader Joe’s products. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025 The event will feature a sasquatch calling contest judged by South Milwaukee Sam, the city's spokesasquatch. —Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 23 July 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
  • The referee called it a low blow, allowing Usyk time to recover.
    — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • Jimmy Uso; Jacob Fatu Returns Bianca Belair will be the special guest referee tomorrow at WWE Evolution when Jade Cargill faces Naomi.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Definition of referee
Noun
  • He was released to a halfway house in 2024 and from prison in March, according to court filings.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
  • These records include court filings, witness testimony, flight logs, grand jury materials, and sealed depositions—many of which remain hidden from the public.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Definition of court
Verb
  • But once Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) locks Superman (David Corenswet) away in a secret prison in a pocket universe, Terrific decides to help Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) find Superman.
    — Adam B. Vary, Variety, 15 July 2025
  • Peskov said Putin would need time to analyze Trump's remarks, some of which were directed at him, and to decide whether to comment.
    — Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Definition of decide
Verb
  • Smoke estimated that less than 1% of auto loans are of the size that would produce a $10,000 deduction on car loan interest in a year.
    — Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
  • The Office for Budget Responsibility, the U.K.’s independent forecaster, estimates that exports and imports will be around 15% lower in the long run, compared to if the U.K. had remained in the EU.
    — Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 21 July 2025
Definition of estimate
Verb
  • With millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok and Substack, the platform is positioned towards helping young people better understand the news, with regular free newsletters and podcasts.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 July 2025
  • But then appeared on the road a living creature whose intent my driver could not understand: a cow.
    — Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Definition of understand
Verb
  • Here are other things that came out of Engelbert’s availability: Engelbert said the WNBA is thinking about expanding its future scheduling footprint as well as the number of games played in upcoming seasons.
    — Ben Pickman, New York Times, 20 July 2025
  • Why do otherwise well-mannered people think open-mouth chewing is socially acceptable?
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2025
Definition of think
Noun
  • At one point, play was stopped when a champagne cork flew onto the court; the umpire politely asked the crowd to refrain from popping bottles while the players were serving.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • Sabalenka again offered her bottle of water into the crowd as several umbrellas shielded the member of the crowd, with both players returning to their seats either side of the umpire.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Definition of umpire
Noun
  • Ahead of a major courthouse expansion project, Hamilton County has added two magistrates with two Superior Court judges coming next year to ease judge workloads and speed up the legal process for people in both the criminal and civil systems.
    — John Tuohy, IndyStar, 14 July 2025
  • More than 100,000 photos, thousands of chats and audio messages between Guede and the unnamed victim are among the evidence to be considered in the trial, according to the investigating magistrate Rita Cialoni, who ordered Guede to stand trial in a preliminary hearing in Viterbo on Friday.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 12 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.

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