Synonyms for distinguish
dɪˈstɪŋ gwɪʃdis·tin·guish

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. distinguishverb

   The central idea of withdrawing makes abstract in common speech a euphemism for appropriate (unlawfully), purloin, steal. In mental processes we discriminate between objects by distinguishing their differences; we separate some one element from all that does not necessarily belong to it, abstract it, and view it alone. We may separate two ideas, and hold both in mind in comparison or contrast; but when we abstract one of them, we drop the other out of thought. The mind is abstracted when it is withdrawn from all other subjects and concentrated upon one, diverted when it is drawn away from what it would or should attend to by some other interest, distracted when the attention is divided among different subjects, so that it can not be given properly to any. The trouble with the distracted person is that he is not abstracted. Compare DISCERN.

   Synonyms:
   abstract, appropriate, detach, discriminate, distract, divert, eliminate, purloin, remove, separate, steal, take away, withdraw

   Antonyms:
   add, combine, complete, conjoin, fill up, increase, restore, strengthen, unite

   Preposition:
   The purse may be abstracted from the pocket; the substance from the accidents; a book into a compend.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. distinguish

   Synonyms:
   discern, descry, perceive, characterize, make famous, know, discriminate, see, discover, separate, divide, dissimilate, differentiate

   Antonyms:
   miss, overlook, confound, confuse

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.8 / 5 votes

1. distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell, tell apartverb

   mark as different

   "We distinguish several kinds of maple"

   Synonyms:
   tell apart, classify, discriminate, spot, mark, differentiate, sort, signalise, enjoin, split up, key out, evidence, tell, break up, divide, come apart, single out, part, state, pick out, order, carve up, key, severalize, split, assure, speciate, separate, fall apart, severalise, furcate, dissever, signalize, assort, specialize, recount, class, identify, make out, specialise, branch, discern, secern, recognize, recite, name, disunite, recognise, narrate, describe, break, sort out, ramify, fork, discover, secernate, say

2. 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:
   discern, bang, have it away, screw, acknowledge, recognise, deal, grapple, get along, choose, 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

3. distinguish, mark, differentiateverb

   be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense

   "His modesty distinguishes him from his peers"

   Synonyms:
   specialise, tell apart, punctuate, signalise, cross out, pit, spot, mark, commemorate, differentiate, speciate, key out, specialize, tick, nock, tell, strike out, notice, scar, score, brand, pick out, grade, key, severalize, strike off, separate, severalise, check off, cross off, signalize, tick off, pock, identify, make out, stigmatize, discern, secern, recognize, mark off, stigmatise, name, denounce, recognise, tag, describe, label, set, discover, secernate, note, check

4. signalize, signalise, distinguishverb

   make conspicuous or noteworthy

   Synonyms:
   sign, recognise, recognize, describe, separate, discover, point out, signalize, call attention, key, mark, differentiate, spot, pick out, key out, severalise, signalise, severalize, secernate, identify, secern, tell apart, make out, tell, discern, signal, name

5. identify, discover, key, key out, distinguish, describe, nameverb

   identify as in botany or biology, for example

   Synonyms:
   account, detect, chance upon, signalise, trace, let out, separate, place, secern, bring out, reveal, disclose, attain, let on, depict, cite, find, describe, get word, differentiate, fall upon, refer, strike, spot, report, nominate, make, pick out, see, find out, key, expose, bring up, give away, mark, break, appoint, severalise, tell apart, signalize, happen upon, delineate, list, divulge, identify, make out, come across, key out, observe, get a line, notice, recognize, line, name, pick up, call, mention, draw, discern, advert, recognise, tell, unwrap, constitute, learn, come upon, light upon, get wind, chance on, diagnose, discover, secernate, severalize, hear

Matched Categories

1. • Characterize
   • Mark

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   characterize, mark, indicate by a mark, mark out

2. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   discriminate, discern, perceive, tell, know

3. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   separate, divide

4. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   signalize, make famous, make celebrated, make known, bring into notice

5. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   make distinction, show the difference

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. distinguishverb

   Synonyms:
   characterize, discriminate, differentiate, discern, recognize

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

1. List of paraphrases for "distinguish":

   differentiate, distinguishing, distinguishes, discriminate, discern, distinguished, discrimination, separate

How to pronounce distinguish?

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How to use distinguish in a sentence?

1. Elizabeth Bunn:

   You literally can walk into almost any non-union manufacturing plant in the United States and you ’ll see workers working on a line and not be able to distinguish who is temp from an agency and who is a direct employee of the company.

2. Vladimir Putin:

   The Russian people will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and simply spit them out like a fly that accidentally flew into their mouths, i am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to respond to any challenges.

3. Dean Phillips:

   It's our attempt to weave everything together in a single experience for our customers, customers don't distinguish AWS from Alexa from Amazon.com. It's Amazon.

4. Marc Leaf:

   I think it is a very reasonable approach, it recognizes that investors are smart enough to distinguish between tweets that are material information — and Elon Musk being Elon Musk.

5. Chuck Schumer:

   We need the president to be able to distinguish between our allies and adversaries, and to treat each accordingly.