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 The mind is abstracted when it is withdrawn from all other subjects and concentrated upon one, diverted when it is drawn away from what it would or should attend to by some other interest, distracted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

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, distinguish, 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:
   distinguish, 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, distinguish, 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

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How to use distinguish in a sentence?

1. Mike Pompeo:

   As Beijing moves forward with passing the national security law, State Mike Pompeo will today end exports of US-origin defense equipment and will take steps toward imposing the same restrictions on State Mike Pompeo defense and dual-use technologies to Hong KongRights as it does for China, state Mike Pompeo is forced to take this action to protect State Mike Pompeo national security. We can no longer distinguish between the export of controlled items to Hong KongRights or to mainland China.

2. Ewald Nowotny:

   There is always a lot of noise in such a situation and I think the important point is to distinguish the noise from the facts, for us, it is quite clear that we have certain conditions to be met. The one condition is ... whether we can accept for instance Greek assets, Greek bonds, as collateral. The answer is, for the time being: No.

3. Robert G. Ingersoll:

   Justice should remove the bandage from her eyes long enough to distinguish between the vicious and the unfortunate.

4. Guy Winch:

   The trick to doing so in an emotionally healthy manner is to distinguish between two types of grievances -- those we can't do anything about and those we would actually like to resolve.

5. Adrienne Watson:

   The donor threshold was appropriate for the opening stages of the race, when candidates were building their organizations and there were no metrics available outside of polling to distinguish those making progress from those who weren't.