Tell it apart
| Aspect | Imply | Infer |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | The speaker or writer | The listener or reader |
| Direction | Puts a meaning in | Takes a meaning out |
| Example | 'Her tone implied she was annoyed.' | 'I inferred from her tone that she was annoyed.' |
| Typical partner word | 'Imply that …' | 'Infer … from …' |
They describe the same moment from opposite ends. The speaker or writer implies, putting a suggestion into the message; the listener or reader infers, taking a conclusion out of it. Using infer to mean 'suggest' ('Are you inferring I'm a liar?') is common in casual speech, but learner's dictionaries still class it as non-standard.
What it really means
Imply and infer are a matched pair, like send and receive. Both describe meaning that travels without being spelled out, but they sit at opposite ends of the journey.
When you imply something, you put a suggestion into what you say or write, without stating it outright. "We'd love to see you finish a project on time for once" implies the speaker thinks you usually don't. When you infer something, you take a conclusion out of what you've seen or heard. The listener infers, from that remark, that the boss is unhappy. As Cambridge's grammar guide puts it, "a speaker can imply, but a listener can only infer."
Imply doesn't even need a person. Evidence implies, statistics imply, a locked door implies nobody's home. Infer always needs someone doing the reasoning, and it usually travels with from: you infer x from y.
The swap that trips people up is using infer where imply belongs: "Are you inferring that I'm lazy?" You'll hear it, and in fast speech few notice. But learner's dictionaries still mark that use as non-standard, so in writing that matters, keep the directions straight.
Memory trick. Hear supply in imply: the speaker supplies the hint. Hear ferry in infer: the listener ferries a conclusion away from what was said.
In real life
- Right: The report implies that the bridge was unsafe. (the report is suggesting it)
- Right: Readers will infer from the report that the bridge was unsafe. (readers draw the conclusion)
- Wrong: Are you inferring that I cheated? (the speaker is suggesting, so it's 'implying')
Questions
Q01What is the difference between imply and infer?
To imply is to hint at something without stating it. To infer is to work something out from evidence or hints. The person speaking implies; the person listening infers.
Q02Is 'are you inferring' wrong?
In standard English, yes, when you mean 'are you suggesting'. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries labels that use of infer non-standard, though it is common in informal speech.
Q03Can a fact imply something?
Yes. Imply doesn't need a person: evidence, results or a silence can imply something. 'The sales figures imply the campaign worked.' Infer, though, needs a mind doing the reasoning.
Sources
- Imply or infer? — Cambridge Dictionary, English Grammar Today.
- infer (verb), with the infer / imply note — Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.
- imply (verb) — Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.