discerning

[ dih-sur-ning, -zur- ]

adjective

1. showing good or outstanding judgment and understanding:

   a discerning critic of French poetry.

   Synonyms: discriminating, sharp, keen, perceptive

discerning

/ dɪˈsɜːnɪŋ /

adjective

1. having or showing good taste or judgment; discriminating

Derived Forms

• disˈcerningly, adverb

Other Words From

• dis·cerning·ly adverb
• nondis·cerning adjective
• undis·cerning adjective
• undis·cerning·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of discerning¹

First recorded in 1600–10; discern + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Sam Mendes’ searing production of Jez Butterworth’s “The Hills of California” at the Broadhurst Theatre, hands down the best play I saw in a spree of late September playgoing, has become the essential ticket for discerning New York theatergoers this fall.

From Los Angeles Times

In the 1970s, she was widely covered for her transformation from a loud, gauche young girl from southern India who entered Bollywood with no knowledge of the Hindi language to a discerning National Award-winning actor who spoke impeccable Urdu and Hindi and brimmed with confidence.

From BBC

The reality is that people do a pretty poor job at discerning a fake review from a real one.

From Salon

Discerning filmgoers, however, can find while watching "The Shining" that they too in a sense "shine" — if by "shine" one means become woke to how injustices from the past, present and future collapse into each other in ways that are often very, very frightening.

From Salon

Shein describes this strategy as being “on demand,” but some discerning shoppers call it “ultrafast fashion.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• astute
• insightful
• knowledgeable
• penetrating
• perceptive
• piercing