SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

discerning

adjective

Able to notice and judge important differences or qualities.

Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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Showing keen judgment

Closest synonyms

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Discriminating emphasizes fine distinctions; judicious emphasizes sound decisions.

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CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See discerning in use

A discerning buyer examined the stitching before making a choice.
Dictionary practice example.
Jules was a discerning reader who noticed subtle differences between confident description and unsupported interpretation.
From The Value of a Closer Look.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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