adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of excellent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin excellent-, stem of excellēns, present participle of excellere excel
Explanation
Something excellent is very good, great, or high quality: this is one of the best compliments around. Words like extraordinary and exceptional are similar in meaning to excellent. This is a strong word used mainly for things, people, and actions that are much better than average. A B+ on a test isn't bad, but an A is excellent. In basketball, making an all-star team is excellent. Being excellent is difficult and people tend to admire it. People use excellent in another, less specific way sometimes. If you want to say "Cool" or "Good" you might say "Excellent!"
Vocabulary lists containing excellent
Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One excellent thing, I was reminded, is often enough.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
They visit Ipswich in gameweek one before hosting Fulham, giving Xhaka an excellent opportunity to produce immediately.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
"This data release provides some spectacular SDSS-V data that we are sure people will make excellent use of," said Dr. Juna Kollmeier of Carnegie Science, the SDSS-V Director.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
Plus, Donovan is excellent here, so less of him is, well, less.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I think we’re going to become excellent friends.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
