judging
judging — verb
- judgingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- judgings3rd person singular
- judginging-ing form
- judgingedpast simple
1. to reach a view on someone or something after weighing up the available facts an
to reach a view on someone or something after weighing up the available facts and thinking things through
Aarav judged the distance between the two cars before trying to park.
judge + noun with a concrete measurement
Priya looked at the flooded basement and tried to judge how long the cleanup would take.
judge + wh-clause
Yuki judged that the project needed two more weeks to finish properly.
The hiring panel judged each candidate on their skills and past experience.
Felipe couldn't judge whether the old vase was real or just a cheap copy.
文法句型
judge + noun
judge + that-clause
judge + wh-clause
judge + object + on + criterion
用法筆記
Object can be a person, situation, distance, quality, or amount. The most flexible sense — takes that-clauses, wh-clauses, and direct objects with a range of prepositions.
常見錯誤
2. to look at someone's actions or life choices in a critical way, forming a low op
to look at someone's actions or life choices in a critical way, forming a low opinion and often acting as if you are above them
Stephanie's grandmother warned her not to judge people by their clothes.
judge + people + by (criterion)
Theo felt that his new colleagues were judging him for taking breaks.
judge + someone + for + -ing
Roya stopped judging her brother's life choices after she faced her own hard year.
Don't judge a neighbourhood until you have walked through it yourself.
Nadia admitted she had judged the quiet student too quickly on the first day.
- criticise
more direct and specific about the fault; does not necessarily imply a sense of superiority
- condemn
much stronger; implies moral outrage, not just disapproval
- look down on
phrasal verb focusing on the attitude of superiority rather than the verbal expression
文法句型
judge + someone
judge + someone + for + -ing
judge + someone + by + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the negative imperative ('don't judge') or in contexts where the judging is seen as unfair. The object is almost always a person, their behaviour, or their choices.
常見錯誤
3. used to introduce the evidence or reasoning behind an opinion — almost always in
used to introduce the evidence or reasoning behind an opinion — almost always in the fixed phrases judging by or judging from
Judging by the dark clouds, a heavy storm is on the way.
judging by + noun phrase (visual evidence)
Judging from the smile on Linh's face, the job interview went well.
judging from + noun phrase (emotional evidence)
The café must be popular, judging by the long queue outside the door.
Judging from the noise next door, the neighbours were having a loud party.
Daichi speaks French very well — judging by his accent, he lived in Paris for years.
文法句型
judging by + noun phrase
judging from + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always a fixed phrase using 'judging', never 'judged'. Can open the sentence or follow the main clause. 'Judging by' and 'judging from' are interchangeable. The main clause gives the opinion; the judging-phrase gives the evidence.
常見錯誤
4. to act as the official decision-maker in a competition, choosing which person or
to act as the official decision-maker in a competition, choosing which person or entry deserves to win
Anya was invited to judge the school poetry competition on Friday afternoon.
judge + competition type
A panel of three chefs judged each dish on taste, look, and originality.
judge + each entry + on + criteria
Who is judging the dance final this year?
The festival organisers asked a local artist to judge the children's painting contest.
Esther has judged baking competitions at the county fair for over ten years.
- adjudicate
more formal; used for legal hearings and formal competitions like debates
- umpire
specific to sports, especially cricket, tennis, and baseball
- referee
specific to sports, especially football, rugby, and boxing
文法句型
judge + competition/contest
judge + entry + on + criteria
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person or panel with recognised expertise. Object is the competition itself or the individual entries. Intransitive use is common when the competition is already clear from context.
judging — noun
1. a public official who hears legal cases in a court of law and makes decisions ab
a public official who hears legal cases in a court of law and makes decisions about guilt, punishment, or legal disputes
The judge told the lawyer to bring the missing papers by Monday morning.
the judge + courtroom action
Judge Nakamura has worked in the family court for nearly twenty years.
Judge + surname (title usage)
The judge asked the witness to describe exactly what she saw that night.
After three days of evidence, the judge sent the jury out to reach a decision.
A High Court judge ruled that the company had broken safety laws.
- magistrate
a judge in a lower court who handles less serious cases
- justice
a judge in a higher court, especially a Supreme Court
用法筆記
When used as a title before a surname, capitalise: 'Judge Nakamura'. In British English, High Court judges are addressed as 'My Lord' or 'My Lady'; in American English, simply 'Your Honour'.
常見錯誤
2. a person chosen to decide the winner or rank the entries in a competition, match
a person chosen to decide the winner or rank the entries in a competition, match, or exhibition
One of the judges gave the young singer full marks for her final song.
judges + scoring in a competition
The three judges wrote down their scores on small white cards after each round.
judges + scoring procedure
A judge at the flower show explained why the winning rose stood out.
The judges spent an hour tasting every cake before reaching their decision.
Chef Adina appeared as a guest judge on the cooking show and tasted twelve dishes.
- umpire
used in sports like cricket, tennis, and baseball, not in arts or cooking competitions
- referee
used in sports like football, rugby, and boxing
- adjudicator
formal term used in debates, music examinations, and official disputes
用法筆記
Often used in the plural when the judging panel has multiple members. 'Guest judge' is a common compound for someone invited to judge a single episode or round.
3. someone whose knowledge and experience in a field makes them qualified to assess
someone whose knowledge and experience in a field makes them qualified to assess quality and give an informed opinion
Adaeze is a good judge of character — she can spot an honest person in minutes.
judge of character (collocation)
Nadia is a careful judge of horse quality and has trained champions for years.
judge of + quality/skill domain
You need to be a sharp judge of value when buying old furniture at markets.
The editor trusted Roya as a reliable judge of whether a story would interest readers.
Felipe has become a respected judge of coffee, travelling to farms across three continents.
- connoisseur
more specialised; used for arts, food, and wine, implying refined taste
- critic
usually publishes reviews; implies professional rather than personal judgement
- evaluator
more systematic and formal; often used in professional or academic contexts
文法句型
a (good/bad/shrewd) judge of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of': 'a good judge of X'. The phrase 'judge of character' (someone who can tell if people are trustworthy) is by far the most frequent collocation.