standout

or stand-out

[ stand-out ]

/ ˈstændˌaʊt /

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See synonyms for standout on Thesaurus.com

noun

something or someone, as a person, performance, etc., remarkably superior to others: Evans was a standout in the mixed doubles.

someone who is conspicuous in an area because of refusal to conform with the actions, opinions, desires, etc., of the majority.

adjective

outstanding; superior.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of standout

First recorded in 1895–1900 for the noun; adjective use of verb phrase stand out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use standout in a sentence

Divas stand out, they are remarkable in every sense of that word.
Ariana Grande, This Is How to Be a Diva|Tim Teeman|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two phrases stand out: be they who they may and broken in from the birth.
America’s Meddlers Are Our Worst Enemies|Stefan Beck|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is purely because the images are iconic and still stand out today.
Vogue Photographer Erwin Blumenfeld: Secrets of a Fashion Legend|Tim Teeman|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Especially in Brooklyn, the social pressure to stand out can seem suffocating.
Why the Upper East Side Is Now Cooler Than Brooklyn|Tom Teodorczuk|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Compared to other ethnicities, the numbers really stand out.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: August 24|PunditFact.com|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The fjord below lay as smooth as a mirror, the outermost headlands and islands seeming to stand out of the water.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
Take a flat surface of clay and see if you can model a reindeer so that it will stand out a little from the surface.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
Modesty is to merit what shade is to figures in a picture; it gives it strength and makes it stand out.
The 'Characters' of Jean de La Bruyre|Jean de La Bruyre
The muscles would stand out in her cheeks, the perspiration start upon her forehead.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
But it was carried against the Company, though they stand out against the verdict.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys

British Dictionary definitions for standout

stand out

verb (intr, adverb)

to be distinctive or conspicuous

to refuse to agree, consent, or complythey stood out for a better price

to protrude or project

to navigate a vessel away from a port, harbour, anchorage, etc

noun standout

informal

a person or thing that is distinctive or outstanding
(as modifier)the standout track from the album

a person who refuses to agree or consent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with standout

stand out

Protrude, project, as in Those reliefs stand out from the building walls. [First half of 1500s]

Be conspicuous, distinctive, or prominent, as in He's so tall that he always stands out in a crowd. [Mid-1800s]

Refuse to comply, remain opposed, as in The one juror is standing out against a guilty verdict. [Late 1500s]