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Glite Dictionary
snap judgment

snap judgment

7 4.8
A quick decision made without careful thought that may be unfair
  • noun
  • /snæp ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/
  • Informal
translation icon : juicio precipitado
  • Those are all snap judgments that we make because we didn't pause to examine our impressions or appearances.
  • make snap judgments

And then just a lot of people that developed snap judgments and thought, well, you guys had to do something wrong.

Examples

  • So many people admitted they made snap judgments before these other facts came in.

  • I tend to make snap judgments about people based on what kind of music they like.

    Bandslam (2009)

  • I made a snap judgment.

    Greenberg (2010)

  • Part of the story is always good for a snap judgment.

    Blog text (19)

  • For myself, it is all too easy to make a snap judgment about someone when one does not know the person.

    Blog text (21)

  • It's way too early to make snap judgments about him at this age.

    Blog text (23)

  • I'm guilty of making snap judgments, as I'm sure all of us are.

    Blog text (13)

  • Some are quick to form snap judgments, while others are more tentative.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Active learners usually have an open mind, make fewer snap judgments, and possess better reasoning skills.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Before getting to know her, I made a snap judgment about her character that was completely wrong.

Synonyms

rash decision
vssnap judgment
7 4.2

A quick choice made without thinking that often causes problems

is quicker and more likely to be unfair or inaccurate
rash choice
vssnap judgment
1 5.2

A decision made quickly without careful thought

is hasty but specifically prone to unfair or inaccurate outcomes
smooth-brained decision
vssnap judgment
  • Slang
9.9

A choice that is foolish and not well thought out

is quick without thought and often leads to unfair or wrong results
on-the-spot decision
vssnap judgment
3.9

A decision made immediately with no planning

is quick and thoughtless but also tends toward unfair or inaccurate outcomes
seat-of-the-pants decision
vssnap judgment
  • Informal
8.4

Choosing quickly without careful planning or thought

is quick and unplanned but more likely to produce unfair or inaccurate results

Antonyms

deliberation
78 4.9

Careful and calm thought or discussion before deciding

careful consideration
  • Formal
11 3.5

A lot of thinking and checking before you decide

How Thoughtful

careful consideration
  • Formal
11 3.5
snap judgment
  • Informal
7 4.8

Surface Forms

snap judgment singular
snap judgments plural
snap judgements plural
snap judgement singular

Morphology

snap + judgment

The meaning 'a quick, hasty decision' is directly derived from combining 'snap' (sudden/quick) with 'judgment' (a decision or opinion). This modifier+noun composition is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Snap judgment comes from the idea of a quick snap — like the sound when you snap your fingers or the instant of a fast photo — and judgment meaning a decision. So a snap judgment is a decision made very quickly, often 'without careful thought'.