pass judgment
Americanphrase
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to make a critical evaluation of someone or something; to adopt the position of judge (usually used with on to introduce the person or thing being judged).
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(of a judge) to render a legal judgment or legal opinion on a matter before the court.
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.
“Scammed” doesn’t pass judgment on the people who’ve been scammed—it’s evident that they’re hard enough on themselves, though some of the braver souls submit to telling their stories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan was the front-runner after last month's first informal vote, in which the council's 15 members, including the five with veto power, pass judgment in secret on the candidates.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Aster is careful not to pass judgment or overtly proselytize, favoring a mode of storytelling that gets as close to the truth as possible while leading with objectivity.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025
“Capote vs. the Swans” feels as forbidding and vindictive as the society wives who pass judgment on Capote.
From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
“We don’t pass judgment on our students for being in the hospital, my goodness, Craig.”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
