🕵️ Infer: Figuring It All Out

INFER most nearly means: A) imply; B) refute; C) embellish; D) deduce. Answer inside. 👉️

Jun 18, 2026

When you infer, you figure something out based on the evidence you have on hand. For example, if your little sister has chocolate smears around her mouth, and a couple of the warm chocolate chip cookies you just baked are missing, you would infer that she ate a cookie or two. Note that usually we're not 100% sure of inferences, just reasonably sure.

short-coat brown puppy — Photo by Obi on Unsplash

📚️ Definition of Infer

Infer (verb): To draw a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning rather than on a direct statement; to read between the lines. Example: to infer the speaker’s opinions.

🗣️ Pronunciation of Infer

IPA: /ɪnˈfɜr/ (See IPA key)
Phonetic: in-FUR

📰 Examples of Infer

Here are some examples of the word infer:

Paleontologists infer what dinosaurs likely ate by studying fossilized teeth; serrated teeth naturally suggest a carnivorous diet, while flat grinding surfaces on teeth imply a plant-eater.
Zeca left me on read for three days, so I think it’s safe to infer that he’s not exactly excited about paying for the picanha for the barbecue.
“From a drop of water, a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other.” — Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet (1887)

🗣️ Common Collocations of Infer

A collocation is a group of words often found together in usage, for example figment of one’s imagination, extenuating circumstances, or inclement weather.