ESTIMATE Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'estimate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of estimate are appraise , assess , evaluate , rate , and value . While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out. // estimated the crowd at two hundred

Q: Where would 'appraise' be a reasonable alternative to 'estimate'?

The words appraise and estimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment. // having their house appraised

Q: When can 'assess' be used instead of 'estimate'?

While the synonyms assess and estimate are close in meaning, assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action. // officials are trying to assess the damage

Q: When might 'evaluate' be a better fit than 'estimate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to estimate , evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary. // evaluate a student's work

Q: How are the words 'rate' and 'estimate' related?

Rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values. // a highly rated restaurant

Q: How do 'value' and 'appraise' relate to one another, in the sense of 'estimate'?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment. // a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

estimate 1 of 2

verb

ˈe-stə-ˌmāt

Definition of estimate

as in to assess

to make an approximate or tentative judgment regarding experts estimated the value of the painting at a million dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to calculate

to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement we estimated the snowfall to be about a foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

estimate

2 of 2

noun

ˈe-stə-mət

as in estimation

the act of placing a value on the nature, character, or quality of something what we owe our war veterans is beyond estimate

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in assessment

an opinion on the nature, character, or quality of something the estimate of many art specialists that the painting is a fake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb estimate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of estimate are appraise, assess, evaluate, rate, and value. While all these words mean "to judge something with respect to its worth or significance," estimate implies a judgment, considered or casual, that precedes or takes the place of actual measuring or counting or testing out.

estimated the crowd at two hundred

Where would appraise be a reasonable alternative to estimate?

The words appraise and estimate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, appraise commonly implies the fixing by an expert of the monetary worth of a thing, but it may be used of any critical judgment.

having their house appraised

When can assess be used instead of estimate?

While the synonyms assess and estimate are close in meaning, assess implies a critical appraisal for the purpose of understanding or interpreting, or as a guide in taking action.

officials are trying to assess the damage

When might evaluate be a better fit than estimate?

While in some cases nearly identical to estimate, evaluate suggests an attempt to determine relative or intrinsic worth in terms other than monetary.

evaluate a student's work

How are the words rate and estimate related?

Rate adds to estimate the notion of placing a thing according to a scale of values.

a highly rated restaurant

How do value and appraise relate to one another, in the sense of estimate?

Value equals appraise but without implying expertness of judgment.

a watercolor valued by the donor at $500

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 estimate

Verb

The Social Security fund will run out of money in as little as six years, a shorter time frame than previously estimated, according to a report released earlier this month by the programs' trustees. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 July 2026 Historians estimate that the North American epidemic killed at least 100,000 to 130,000 people over several years. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Noun

Water management plans must include estimates of water usage, discharge locations and plans to minimize water demand. — Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026 While the government has not updated a formal nationwide missing-person tally in recent days, outside estimates suggest the number may be staggering. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for estimate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for estimate

Verb

Vogue Business assessed the 64 shows and presentations published on Vogue Runway and contacted each brand to verify the findings (brands were given 48 hours to respond).

— Amy Francombe, Vogue, 6 July 2026
Professionals must actively map where their risk truly lies, assessing counterparty exposure, income correlation, and cost repricing, rather than mistaking simplicity for safety.

— Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of assess

Verb

The constellation would also brighten the night sky by up to 300 percent, Hanuit calculated.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 1 July 2026
The parents allege that UC Davis included what was meant only to be an expense offset for the in-kind donations of horses in calculating the total cost of the equestrian program.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of calculate

Noun

According to an estimation from the governor’s office, about 40,000 low- to moderate-income Californians will receive down payment assistance through the measure, which was pulled from the ballot last minute in 2024.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
Newsom and the analysts sometimes differ in their estimations.

— CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Definition of estimation

Noun

An initial no-obligation consultation to discuss your debt, explain your options, and get an assessment of how Larson Tax Relief can help.

— Nick Perry, USA Today, 2 July 2026
This starts with 300 life cycle assessment (LCA) datasets, all of which are fully disaggregated.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 2 July 2026

Definition of assessment

Verb

Francis retained a stake of more than 70%, which Forbes valued at more than $900 million at the time.

— Robert Olsen, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
In late May, Cognition raised more than $1 billion in a new funding round that valued the startup at $26 billion, more than doubling its valuation from a September 2025 round.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 3 July 2026

Definition of value

Verb

There was success, attention, expectation - and underneath it, a girl still figuring herself out.

— Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Going back to the books, the cocoon periods after each tragedy were periods of vulnerability, figuring things out and trying to survive, and that’s incredibly satisfying to play.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 July 2026

Definition of figure

Noun

The mortgage process includes origination, application and underwriting fees, as well as charges for appraisals, title insurance, attorneys and other closing costs.

— Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 2 July 2026
The appraisal caught up with conditions that had been building for years.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of appraisal

Noun

The report's authors said the case highlights the importance of seeking immediate medical evaluation after any direct contact with a bat, even if there is no visible bite or scratch.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026
The 10-year-old is in the custody of the Missouri Children’s Division and was taken in for psychiatric evaluation, according to Missouri’s 22nd Circuit Court.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Definition of evaluation

Browse Nearby Words

estimable

estimate

estimated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Estimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/estimate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of estimate

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on estimate

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes