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 The mind is abstracted when it is withdrawn from all other subjects and concentrated upon one, diverted when it is drawn away from what it would or should attend to by some other interest, distracted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?

How to say distinguish in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use distinguish in a sentence?

1. Seneca:

   I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge.

2. Ronald Reagan:

   Some of your countrymen were unable to distinguish between their native dislike for war and the stainless patriotism of those who suffered its scars. But there has been a rethinking and now we can say to you, and say as a nation, thank you for your courage.

3. Robertson Davies:

   Many a promising career has been wrecked by marrying the wrong sort of woman. The right sort of woman can distinguish between Creative Lassitude and plain shiftlessness.

4. Merlin Sheldrake:

   The human sense of smell is extraordinary. Our eyes can distinguish several million colours, our ears can distinguish half a million tones, but our noses can distinguish well over a trillion different odours. Humans can detect virtually all volatile chemicals ever tested.

5. Benjamin Netanyahu:

   Against all odds, we achieved a great victory for the Likud, i am proud of the people of Israel, who in the moment of truth knew how to distinguish between what is important and what is peripheral, and to insist on what is important.