Eximious
What it means
Exceptionally excellent or distinguished.
Reach for it when using deliberately archaic praise in a historical or playful literary voice
The catalogue calls the silverwork eximious in a passage modeled on Tudor prose.
Words to choose between 5
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when strong approval should be immediately clear
Careful Excellent lacks the antique voice that is the main reason to choose eximious.
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warm
Fits when confident accessible praise suits conversation
Careful First-rate is informal and loses the historical texture of eximious.
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professional
Fits when achievement has earned lasting recognition
Careful Distinguished suggests reputation or bearing, not simply exceptional quality.
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formal
Fits when something ranks at the highest level of quality
Careful Superlative can sound like review jargon and implies comparison with a field.
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literary
Fits when older concise praise of selected quality is intended
Careful Choice sounds like slang or a noun to many modern readers.
Opposites 3
- inferior
- mediocre
- undistinguished
Common phrases 3
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eximious skill
The chronicler praised the mason's eximious skill in cutting the vault.
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eximious work
The preface describes the illuminated pages as eximious work.
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truly eximious
Only a deliberately antique narrator would call the banquet truly eximious.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
This sense is archaic. For ordinary modern praise, choose a clearer word.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated