Word
exceptional
Meanings
much better than usual; outstanding
unusual or not typical; out of the ordinary
Definition
Much better than usual; unusually high in quality, ability, or performance.
Something described as exceptional stands out because it is significantly better than what is typical or expected. It can refer to a person’s skills, a result, or the quality of an experience. The word is often used to praise excellence, but it can also mean unusual in a neutral sense in some contexts.
Examples
- Her thesis was exceptional, combining rigorous analysis with clear, persuasive writing.
- Our guide was exceptional at adapting the tour to what we were curious about.
- The restaurant looks ordinary, but its service is exceptional even on busy nights.
- They delivered an exceptional performance, recovering smoothly after an early mistake.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse exceptional with excepted (meaning ‘not included’), but exceptional means ‘outstanding’ or ‘unusual.’
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.