Meaning & use
appraising
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“appraising” is a form of “appraise”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Judging the value, quality or worth of something, often with an official or expert opinion.
Grammar: Takes an object: appraising a house.
Patterns
- appraise something
- appraise something at a price
She spent the morning appraising the antique furniture.
The bank is appraising the house before approving the loan.
He is appraising the value of the old painting for the auction.
verbtransitive
Thinking carefully about a person or situation in order to form a judgment.
Grammar: Takes an object: appraising the risks.
Patterns
- appraise someone
- appraise a situation
The coach was appraising each player's strengths during practice.
We are appraising how well the new program works.
He spent a moment appraising the room before choosing a seat.
adjectivebefore a noun
Showing that someone is carefully studying and judging something.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: an appraising look.
Patterns
- an appraising look
She gave the dress an appraising look.
The buyer's appraising eye missed nothing.
He cast an appraising glance at the crowd.
Word forms
| base form | appraise |
|---|---|
| third person singular | appraises |
| past tense | appraised |
Common combinations
- appraising a property
- She earns a living appraising a property for banks.
- an appraising look
- He gave the car an appraising look.
- appraising the value
- The expert is appraising the value of the jewelry.
- appraising performance
- The manager is appraising performance this month.
- appraising eye
- With an appraising eye, she studied the apartment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- assessing
- Assessing is a general word for judging amount or quality, while appraising often involves a formal value.
- evaluating
- Evaluating suggests weighing evidence step by step, whereas appraising focuses on an overall worth.
- valuing
- Valuing is about putting a price on something, while appraising can include quality as well.
- sizing up
- Sizing up is informal and quick, whereas appraising sounds more careful or professional.
Opposites
Word family
- appraise verb
- to judge value or quality
- appraisal noun
- a formal estimate of value, or a judgment
- appraiser noun
- a person who estimates value for a job
- reappraise verb
- to judge again, often more carefully
Commonly confused: appraising or apprising? appraising or praising?
appraising vs apprising
Apprising comes from apprise, meaning to inform someone. Appraising means judging value, so the two are easy to mix up.
appraising vs praising
Praising means expressing admiration. Appraising only means judging, which may be positive or negative.
Practice
The jeweler spent an hour ___ the antique ring before naming a price. Which word fits?
Choose one answer.
Appraising means judging the value of something, which fits naming a price. Apprising means informing, and praising means admiring, neither of which sets a price.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “appraising”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.