judge

Definitions

judge comes from Latin jūdex = jūs (law) + dīcere (to speak): literally 'one who speaks the law.' The dīcere part is buried in the -ge, which is why 'judge' is really a two-root word. From the courtroom official, the verb spread to mean any act of weighing evidence and pronouncing a verdict — including the casual 'don't judge me.'

Why It Means This

The everyday meaning 'to judge someone' is the same act as a courtroom verdict, just shrunk down: you gather impressions (evidence), then pronounce a conclusion (the ruling). Knowing jūdex = 'speaks the law' makes both senses one picture — a person declaring a verdict.

Common Collocations

• 1.judge by凭……判断
• 2.judge for yourself自己判断
• 3.a panel of judges评审团
• 4.as far as I can judge据我判断
• 5.don't judge别妄加评判

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Don't judge a book by its cover.

• 2.

  The judge sentenced him to five years in prison.

• 3.

  It's hard to judge how she really feels about it.

• 4.

  A panel of three judges scored each performance.

Easily Confused

judge vs. assess / evaluate — assess and evaluate are neutral, analytical ('assess the risks,' 'evaluate the data'). judge often carries a moral or personal verdict ('don't judge me'). If you're measuring, use assess; if you're forming an opinion about someone's worth, it's judge.