judging
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
-
evaluating, assessing, or forming a critical opinion of someone or something.
We think all rightly judging readers will reject such an unlikely interpretation.
-
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.
-
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
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.
Heder at first kept it on her desk at home, but had to move it because she began to feel the statuette’s crossed arms quietly judging her as she worked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The judging panel includes artists from around the worlds of music and photography, including Chic guitarist and producer Nile Rogers and Brit Award-winning singer Raye.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Still, judging by trends on social media, it seems a lot of people are tickled by the idea that such an outcome is even remotely possible.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
But authorities there refused to extradite him and let him go, judging that any such Ukrainian attack would have been a legitimate act of war rather than a crime.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
I let down the window and looked out; Millcote was behind us; judging by the number of its lights, it seemed a place of considerable magnitude, much larger than Lowton.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.