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Glite Dictionary
to pass judgment

to pass judgment

37 5.2
Form an opinion about someone or something, often a critical one
  • phrasal verb
  • /pæs ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/
translation icon : juzgar
  • Don't pass judgment on other people, or you might get judged yourself.
  • allow someone to pass judgment

So I I do not want to pass judgement from here, but I would not act like they act.

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Examples

  • How dare you pass judgment on me?

    Women Talking (2022)

  • Before you pass judgment on someone else, consider their circumstances.

  • Now, do you wish to pass judgment on that?

    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

  • But you guys think you have the right to pass judgment on me.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Supporters of the law say it is too soon to pass judgment on it.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I'm not the one to pass judgment on that right now.

    Inside Job (2010)

  • I needed a recommendation from a writer in a position to pass judgment on my project.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • But we are not here to pass judgment on Mr. Ferguson's lack of initiative.

    Vertigo (1958)

  • I hope you'll hear me out before passing judgment.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • But the veep was skeptical, and he left it up to Junior to pass judgment on me and my request.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

to judge
vsto pass judgment
914 2.5

To form an opinion about someone or something

leans toward a critical expressed opinion rather than a neutral decision
to criticize
vsto pass judgment
701 3.3

To say what is wrong with someone or something

is broader, including noncritical opinions as well as negative ones
to evaluate
vsto pass judgment
335 3.2

To judge how good or useful something is

is more likely to be a critical personal opinion than measured assessment
to pronounce
vsto pass judgment
  • Formal
148 3.5

To officially give a decision about someone or something

is usually a personal critical opinion rather than formal declaration
to critique
vsto pass judgment
48 6.7

To give an opinion about a work such as a book or film to show its good and bad points

is more general and often less deeply analytical
to opine
vsto pass judgment
24 7.9

To say what you think about something

often carries a critical tone rather than neutral personal belief
to opinionize on
vsto pass judgment
  • Informal
8.0

To express your personal views about a subject

is about forming critical opinions rather than deliberate showy remarks

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

How Critical

to condemn
298 4.0
to criticize
701 3.3
to pass judgment
37 5.2
to comment
589 1.7
to observe
619 2.4

Surface Forms

pass judgment infinitive
passed judgment past
passed judgment past participle
passing judgment present participle
passes judgment third person singular

Morphology

pass + judgment

The meaning 'to form or express an opinion' is directly derivable from combining 'pass' (in the sense ‘to give or express’, as in 'pass a comment' or 'pass sentence') with 'judgment' (an opinion). This verb + noun compositional pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically echoed, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase pass judgment comes from the court, where a judge would pass a judgment, a spoken 'decision' about someone. So today it means to give an opinion, often a critical one, as if making an official decision.