Spot-on
What it means
Exactly accurate, appropriate, or well judged.
Reach for it when giving informal approval to a diagnosis, estimate, description, or choice that fits precisely
Her spot-on estimate left enough timber for every repair.
Words to choose between 6
| playful |
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|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
on the money
Fits when lively idiomatic approval suits the audience
Careful The phrase is more slangy and carries an unnecessary money image.
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everyday
Fits when ordinary confirmation is enough
Careful Right is broad and weaker than emphatic spot-on praise.
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professional
Fits when correspondence with fact or measurement is the standard
Careful Accurate says nothing about whether a choice was appropriate.
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professional
Fits when proportion and context make a choice successful
Careful Good judgment can allow a range rather than one exact answer.
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formal
Fits when complete precision is defensible
Careful Exact is narrower and can concern copying rather than judgment.
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literary
Fits when wording or comparison is especially fitting
Careful Apt usually evaluates expression, not numerical accuracy.
Opposites 3
- wrong
- inaccurate
- misjudged
Common phrases 3
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spot-on assessment
The technician's spot-on assessment prevented an unnecessary replacement.
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absolutely spot-on
Her description of the access problem was absolutely spot-on.
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spot-on timing
Spot-on timing let the musicians enter together after the long pause.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated