English verb: distinguish | |||
1. | distinguish (cognition) mark as different | ||
Samples | We distinguish several kinds of maple. | ||
Synonyms | differentiate, secern, secernate, separate, severalise, severalize, tell, tell apart | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Somebody ----s something from somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | identify, place | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | contradistinguish, contrast, decouple, demarcate, discriminate, discriminate, dissociate, individualise, individualize, know, know apart, label, label, separate, severalise, severalize, sex, single out, stratify | ||
Entail | compare | ||
2. | distinguish (perception) detect with the senses | ||
Samples | 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, make out, pick out, recognise, recognize, spot, tell apart | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | discriminate, resolve | ||
Entail | comprehend, perceive | ||
3. | distinguish (cognition) be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense | ||
Samples | His modesty distinguishes him from his peers. | ||
Synonyms | differentiate, mark | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | characterise, characterize, qualify | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | characterise, characterize | ||
Verb group | mark | ||
4. | distinguish (communication) make conspicuous or noteworthy | ||
Synonyms | signalise, signalize | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | mark | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | singularise, singularize | ||
5. | distinguish (cognition) identify as in botany or biology, for example | ||
Synonyms | describe, discover, identify, key, key out, name | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Entail | assort, class, classify, separate, sort, sort out | ||