Word
judgmental
Phoneticsjudg·men·tal, stress on the second syllable
US/dʒədʒˈmɛnəɫ/
UK/dʒʌdʒmˈɛntəl/
Definitions
01too critical
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. you use this to describe someone who is too quick to criticize others or judge them unfairly.
adj. inclined to form and express critical or negative opinions about others, often prematurely or harshly.
“I stopped telling him my secrets because he was always so judgmental.”
“The manager's judgmental attitude created a tense atmosphere, as employees felt their every mistake was being scrutinized and condemned.”
Pitfall
She was judgmental about my new haircut.
She was judgmental of my new haircut.
While 'about' is common in casual speech, 'of' is the standard preposition used after judgmental when identifying the object of the criticism.
Synonyms
02relating to judgment
C1 · Advanced Formal · Technical
adj. relating to the process of making a decision or forming an opinion.
adj. pertaining to the exercise or capacity of judgment; often used in technical or formal contexts regarding decision-making.
“The committee had to make a judgmental call based on the limited evidence.”
“The auditor noted that the final valuation relied heavily on judgmental factors rather than purely objective data points.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“She can’t understand why he couldn’t have been kinder and more Christian, but she’s determined not to be judgmental herself and to throw herself into being there for these kids.” “Another talks about the judgmental comments she gets about bottle feeding her baby after struggling to breastfeed.” Etymology
From judgment + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/judgmental