Close in meaning

Imply vs. Infer

Imply means to suggest something without saying it directly; the speaker or writer implies. Infer means to work out a conclusion from clues; the listener or reader infers. Her smile implied yes, so I inferred she agreed.

Word	Part of speech	Meaning
imply	verb	to suggest or hint at something without stating it outright
infer	verb	to reach a conclusion from evidence or hints rather than from a direct statement

Imply

verb: to suggest or hint at something without stating it outright

Are you implying that I forgot your birthday?
The coach's silence implied that he was not happy with the result.

Infer

verb: to reach a conclusion from evidence or hints rather than from a direct statement

From the wet streets, Leo inferred that it had rained overnight.
What can you infer about the character from her letters?

How to remember the difference

Infer and interpret both start with in, and both happen inside the listener's head. Imply is what the speaker puts out.

Good to know

Infer is sometimes used to mean imply, and some dictionaries record that use, but many readers see it as a mistake. In careful writing, keep the two apart: speakers imply, listeners infer.

Spot the mistake

Are you ~~inferring~~ implying that I can't cook?
Correct: Are you implying that I can't cook?
From his yawns, I could ~~imply~~ infer that he was tired.
Correct: From his yawns, I could infer that he was tired.

Check yourself

Pick the word that fits each sentence.

1. The report seems to that the project will be late.

2. From the empty plates, we can that the guests liked the food.