Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for "judging"
  • present participle of judge.
Search instead for judging by.
Synonyms

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.


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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But judging by Barker’s shallow screenplay, I doubt that it will be too long before someone digs deeper, striking an unassailable, solid-gold classic.

From Salon Jul. 22, 2026

At the California Institute of the Arts, administrators expressed concern about judging earnings four years after graduation given the nature of the field they are teaching.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 22, 2026

The VAR would merely be judging a foul - as was the case with Martinez - rather than a penalty.

From BBC Jul. 8, 2026

CPS workers—who are often referred to in low-income communities as “the family police”—are tasked with addressing social welfare needs after they’ve already lost the trust of families by intimidating and judging them during investigations.

From Slate Jul. 7, 2026

In time, judging from his uncombed and disheveled physical appearance, it was difficult to differentiate Bobby from the down-and-outers of the area.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training