Judge not a ship as she lies on the stocks.

Do not form a final opinion of a thing while it is still being made, repaired, or otherwise incomplete. Its present rough state may reveal little about the quality, usefulness, or appearance it will have when finished.

The saying urges patience in evaluation and cautions against dismissing early work too quickly. It calls for a provisional judgment, not an assumption that every unfinished effort will succeed; the shipyard image gives the wording a somewhat traditional tone.

Use this proverb, in a somewhat traditional tone, when someone judges a developing plan, product, piece of work, or person’s early effort before it is complete. It is a reminder to reserve final judgment when visible imperfections belong to the process, rather than a promise of eventual success.