judging

American  

[juhj-ing] / ˈdʒʌdʒ ɪŋ /

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.

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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

Derived Forms

• unjudging
  adjective
• judgingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of judging

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

I was judging myself more harshly than anyone else was, and it cost me income and experience, as well as skills that money alone can’t buy.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Unfortunately, judging by my children’s recent college experiences, nowadays not getting an A would be devastating.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I’m not judging myself in the same way that I used to.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

In January, the Department for Transport published a traffic light rating system judging local authorities on how they are maintaining their roads and spending government funding.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

I’m trying to sound professional, but judging by the reactions, I may have taken it too far.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty