Stellar
What it means
Exceptionally excellent or impressive in performance or quality.
Reach for it when giving energetic praise to results that clearly exceed expectations
The apprentice produced stellar work on the damaged marquetry.
Words to choose between 6
| playful |
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|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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playful
Fits when being noticeably better than peers is the point
Careful A standout result can attract attention for novelty rather than quality.
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everyday
Fits when intelligence, brightness, or success can carry the compliment
Careful Brilliant may imply cleverness rather than reliable execution.
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warm
Fits when exceptional quality deserves concise praise
Careful Superb sounds more polished and less contemporary.
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professional
Fits when a high standard is enough
Careful Excellent is broader and does not imply an unusually bright performance.
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professional
Fits when comparative excellence should sound measured
Careful Outstanding is more formal and lacks stellar's celebratory energy.
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formal
Fits when dependable top quality matters
Careful First-rate evaluates standard without the vivid lift of stellar.
Opposites 3
- poor
- mediocre
- dismal
Common phrases 3
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stellar performance
The goalkeeper gave a stellar performance in the final.
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stellar work
Stellar work by the night crew reopened the bridge safely.
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stellar reputation
The workshop earned a stellar reputation for honest estimates.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
The literal astronomical sense is neutral. Positive stellar is informal and easily overused in performance reviews.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dinoroki, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated