first-rate
Americanadjective
-
excellent; superb.
-
of the highest rank, rate, or class.
adverb
adjective
-
of the best or highest rated class or quality
-
informal very good; excellent
adverb
Etymology
Origin of first-rate
First recorded in 1660–70
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.
“You have to be first-rate in your storytelling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
“And it is. But it’s going to be first-rate Schrader soon enough. And it’s already first-rate ‘NCIS.’
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Though the two aren’t in the same universe professionally, they jam together with some first-rate instruments Danny just happens to have lying around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The legislation does not foresee an increase in the size of France's armed forces, which remains at 210,000 active-duty personnel, 225 combat aircraft and 15 first-rate frigates.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
All their antics was first-rate nonsense to me.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
