Exceptional achievement, ability, influence, or moral character.
Reach for it when naming excellence at an unusually high level while making clear which kind is meant
Her greatness came from technical skill joined with generosity.
| playful | |
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| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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| literary |
playful
legendary status
Fits when informal celebration of enduring fame suits the audience
Careful Legendary is hyperbole unless stories and influence genuinely persist.
warm
Fits when rare intelligence or creative force produces the admiration
Careful Brilliance can be dazzling but inconsistent.
professional
Fits when consistently high quality is supported by evidence
Careful Excellence can be narrow and reliable without the wider stature of greatness.
professional
Fits when exceptional command of a craft is the basis for praise
Careful Mastery concerns skill and does not establish moral or historical greatness.
formal
Fits when achievement or character clearly stands apart
Careful Distinction may rest on recognition rather than profound impact.
formal
stature
Fits when earned reputation and influence have grown over time
Careful Stature concerns standing and may not reflect actual quality.
literary
Fits when lofty moral character matters more than achievement
Careful Nobility can sound class-coded or grandiose in ordinary praise.
achieve greatness
They hoped to achieve greatness by preparing capable successors.
true greatness
His true greatness appeared in the successors he prepared.
measure of greatness
Service, not applause, became their measure of greatness.
Keep in mind
Greatness is a broad and unusually strong judgment. Name the achievement, influence, or moral quality that earns it.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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