Imply and infer | IELTS vocabulary

These words have very similar meanings but they are used in different contexts.

To imply something is to suggest something without saying it directly.

• He implied that his boss was having an affair with one of his colleagues. (He didn’t say it directly, but his words suggested it.)
• She implied that they were planning to launch a business.

You infer something from what has been said by somebody else.

• We inferred from his words that his boss was having an affair with one of his colleagues.

To infer something is to arrive at the conclusion that this is what somebody mean.