Imply vs Infer

Quick Tip: Remember: Imply is what the speaker does (suggests). Infer is what the listener does (concludes). The speaker implies; the listener infers.

Imply

verb

to strongly suggest the truth or existence of something not expressly stated

Examples:
  • His tone implied that he was angry.
  • The data implies a connection between the two factors.
  • Are you implying that I made a mistake?

Infer

verb

to deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements

Examples:
  • From his expression, I inferred that he was upset.
  • We can infer from the evidence that the suspect was present.
  • What can we infer from these results?
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