Writing is full of words that indicate judgment. That might sound shocking, but it’s not necessarily bad. Sometimes it’s great. Sometimes we want readers to believe certain things, and the words we use can lead them down a particular path. The entire industry of copywriting is based on that, but every writer does it. Being aware of it can make us more effective communicators. It can also make us better people.
Our writing often conveys opinions, judgments. This is true whether it’s in a character’s voice or the invisible narrator of copy, fiction or nonfiction. Some words give clues that a judgment of some kind is coming.
As I compiled this list, I found that I judge more often than I like. Thanks to my Reticular Activating System, I also became acutely aware of these kinds of words and phrases. For the rest of the day, it seemed like everything that came out of anyone’s mouth was a judgment. It was surreal. If you pay attention, you may find that you use opinion/judgment-indicating words more often than you realized, too.
Words that indicate judgment
I think . . .
I believe . . .
That is too ____.
It would be better/best if . . .
I’m the only one who . . .
I predict . . .
That is incorrect. They are wrong.
That is correct. They are right.
That’s a waste of ____.
He is horrible, bad, awful, terrible, ugly.
She is beautiful, good, lovely, nice, kind, great.
That is justice. He deserves it.
They wiggle their way out of consequences. They finagle, manipulate, twist, or control.
need/don’t need
They should/shouldn’t, or can/can’t.
crazy, insane, unstable, unfit
idiot or any other name-calling words
smart/stupid
scary
dangerous, risky, shady
safe, secure, trustworthy
hard, difficult, complicated
easy, simple, straightforward
beneficial, better, improved
annoying, irritating, boring
stubborn, obstinate, passive
expensive/cheap, quality, value, desirable
rude/polite
inefficient, insufficient
supposed to
enough/not enough
ready/not ready
needed, required, optional, unnecessary
meant to, intentional
honorable/dishonorable
helpful/not helpful
clean/dirty, disorganized, messy
freaky, scary
because
lying, deceptive
purposely/accidentally
funny/not funny, serious
useful/useless
fair/unfair
adversarial, against, enemy, opposed
have to, need, require
always/never
delicious/disgusting
more than/less than
satisfactory
important
grave
unhealthy/overweight
fail/succeed
late/early/on time
definitely, obviously, apparently
favorite, good, better, best
What other phrases or words that indicate judgment or opinions can you list?