discern
verb (used with object)
to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend.
were discerning
-
past progressiveof discern.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
But these were discerning drinkers, and the poster kids for the mainstreaming of seltzer.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 21, 2021
They were discerning, and capable of grasping a dog man's point of view.
From Baldy of Nome by Esther Birdsall Darling
Their friends, those at least who were discerning, realized that the probability of a marriage between them was becoming more and more remote.
From The Mermaid of Druid Lake and Other Stories by Charles Weathers Bump
If you were discerning you would detect that a complex machinery was at work which had nearly escaped you because of its smooth operation.
From Consumers' Cooperative Societies in New York State by The Consumers' League of New York
There were discerning minds that appreciated his genius, and saw in him the coming Captain of America.
From A Life of Gen. Robert E. Lee by John Esten Cooke
