Clearly distinguished by exceptionally strong quality or achievement.
Reach for it when giving high-confidence praise when the result stands above the expected standard
The rescue team delivered outstanding care throughout the twelve-hour evacuation.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
Fits when energetic contemporary praise is welcome
Careful Formal references and measured reports call for restrained praise.
everyday
Fits when direct informal praise should sound confident
Careful The phrase can feel dated or promotional in academic writing.
warm
Fits when an achievement deserves notice or surprise
Careful Something remarkable may be unusual without being excellent.
professional
Fits when very high quality is the complete message
Careful It does not explicitly compare the result with peers or expectations.
professional
Fits when the performance should serve as a model
Careful Exemplary adds moral or instructional value beyond simple excellence.
formal
Fits when sustained achievement has earned recognition
Careful The word fits careers and records better than one excellent small task.
formal
Fits when the quality is rare enough to be an exception
Careful Reserve it for evidence stronger than ordinary good performance.
literary
Fits when concise, enthusiastic praise suits the tone
Careful It can sound inflated in a restrained evaluation.
outstanding achievement
Restoring the wetland in one season was an outstanding achievement.
outstanding contribution
The award recognized her outstanding contribution to rural nursing.
outstanding work
The apprentices did outstanding work on the library's damaged windows.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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