judging

[juhj-ing]

adjective

1. rendering an authoritative decision, as in a legal case, contest, dispute, or the like.

   He received the highest praise on his cooking contest entry from the judging chefs in their feedback.

2. hearing evidence or arguments in a case in order to render a decision.

   The appeal and second appeal will last approximately one year each, depending on the judging court and the evidence.

3. evaluating, assessing, or forming a critical opinion of someone or something.

   We think all rightly judging readers will reject such an unlikely interpretation.

4. making or expressing a negative assessment of someone or something; condemning.

   I’d refrain from using judging words like "slob" and "ungracious," as those will lead to defensiveness and hurt feelings.

5. making a careful guess or estimate.

   It’s hard to reckon one’s distance from something when the judging eye is under water and the target is in the air.

noun

1. the act of rendering an authoritative decision, forming an estimate or critical opinion, or making or expressing a negative assessment of someone or something.

   The highlight of the evening was the judging of the Best in Red competition.

   I’m tired of the constant judging and critiquing by others.

Other Word Forms

• judgingly adverb
• unjudging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of judging¹

First recorded in 1325–75; judg(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; judg(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Three referees were tasked with judging the robot fights, just like in wrestling, a sport at which Iran excels.

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And judging by my cousin’s face, she did not spell this out herself.

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But judging from its appearance, it had been abandoned years ago.

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“Carol missed things until they were taken away. She could have stopped judging everything and judging herself.”

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“The next leg higher likely belongs to the year 2026, judging from past consolidation patterns—the last one in April lasted four months,” he added.

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