Infer\Imply?

[GreyMan]

It's certainly the right direction and the problem with infer is that people use it in the wrong direction- deduce may not be an exact synonym, but it is close.

Good to know, thanks. I also thought of this in terms of "direction".
What would you say is the difference between infer and deduce?

[birdeen's call]

TBBT - Stupid Zach owned by Sheldon - YouTube

[5jj]

What would you say is the difference between infer and deduce?

They are near-synonyms, in my opinion.

[GreyMan]

I tend to avoid infer because people often misunderstand it. But I'm grateful to have my understanding confirmed.

[Tdol]

The infer/imply confusion is so common that one day the distinction may be lost completely IMO.

[jahildebrandt]

Good to know, thanks. I also thought of this in terms of "direction".
What would you say is the difference between infer and deduce?

One may infer something that is not true, or have no reason to infer. To deduce something is to piece things together using reason.



As for the poll, either usage can be correct, depending on the context of the sentence.
If the girl is currently being interviewed by multiple people, she may get the feeling (infer) that she is being hounded.

If she is reporting what is happening, she may imply that she is (or was being) hounded by the press.

[Tdol]

Good point, Jahildebrandt, and it just goes to show how difficult it can be to make questions to illustrate things without a context. I hadn't thought about a press conference.