Synonyms for discern
dɪˈsɜrn, -ˈzɜrndis·cern

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.2 / 5 votes

1. discern

   What we discern we see apart from all other objects; what we discriminate we judge apart; what we distinguish we mark apart, or recognize by some special mark or manifest difference. We discriminate by real differences; we distinguish by outward signs; an officer is readily distinguished from a common soldier by his uniform. Objects may be dimly discerned at twilight, when yet we can not clearly distinguish one from another. We descry (originally espy) what is difficult to discover. Compare DISCOVER; LOOK.

   Synonyms:
   behold, descry, discriminate, distinguish, observe, perceive, recognize, see

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. discern

   Synonyms:
   descry, observe, recognize, see, distinguish, discover, behold, penetrate, discriminate, differentiate, separate, perceive

   Antonyms:
   overlook, confound, misdiscern

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 3 votes

1. spot, recognize, recognise, distinguish, discern, pick out, make out, tell apartverb

   detect with the senses

   "The fleeing convicts were picked out of the darkness by the watchful prison guards"; "I can't make out the faces in this photograph"

   Synonyms:
   bang, have it away, screw, acknowledge, recognise, deal, grapple, get along, choose, distinguish, greet, make love, discover, do, jazz, key, love, roll in the hay, separate, cut, neck, be intimate, signalize, accredit, name, pick out, eff, bonk, make do, spot, bed, do it, mark, have intercourse, realize, make out, manage, have sex, tell apart, select, secern, take, fill out, fill in, have a go at it, key out, tell, agnise, describe, secernate, sleep with, agnize, blemish, identify, contend, issue, fleck, hump, get laid, severalize, descry, have it off, sleep together, get by, signalise, write out, spy, cope, recognize, severalise, know, come, get it on, differentiate, complete, blot, fare, lie with, espy, realise, blob

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. discernverb

   Synonyms:
   discriminate, distinguish, note the distinctions of

2. discernverb

   Synonyms:
   perceive, see, discover, descry, behold, espy

3. discernverb

   Synonyms:
   discriminate, judge, make distinction

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. discernverb

   Synonyms:
   perceive, discriminate, distinguish, see

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "discern":

   distinguish, identify, disentangle

How to pronounce discern?

How to say discern in sign language?

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How to use discern in a sentence?

1. Craig Holman:

   This is very unbecoming of the senator to rely on these types of sources for his funds and for raising funds from others, it really raises some questions as to his ability to discern the potentially corrupting influence of money.

2. Harvey Fineberg:

   Everybody wants to know -- am I immune ? Can I now visit Grandma so that I'm not a threat to her and she's not a threat to me ? how do we discern the people who can now safely go out and about ? That's an important personal and social question.

3. Michael Steinbach:

   Once in Syria, it is very difficult to discern what happens there, this lack of clarity remains troubling.

4. Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoi:

   I know that most men -- not only those considered clever, but even those who are very clever and capable of understanding most difficult scientific, mathematical, or philosophic, problems - can seldom discern even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as obliges them to admit the falsity of conclusions they have formed, perhaps with much difficulty -- conclusions of which they are proud, which they have taught to others, and on which they have built their lives.

5. Mahabharata:

   Heaven?s gate is narrow and minute,* It cannot be perceived by foolish men, Blinded by vain illusions of the world. E?en the clear-sighted, who discern the way And seek to enter, find the portal barred And hard to be unlocked. Its massive bolts Are pride and passion, avarice and lust.