stand out
Britishverb
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to be distinctive or conspicuous
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to refuse to agree, consent, or comply
they stood out for a better price
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to protrude or project
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to navigate a vessel away from a port, harbour, anchorage, etc
noun
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informal
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a person or thing that is distinctive or outstanding
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( as modifier )
the standout track from the album
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a person who refuses to agree or consent
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Protrude, project, as in Those reliefs stand out from the building walls . [First half of 1500s]
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Be conspicuous, distinctive, or prominent, as in He's so tall that he always stands out in a crowd . [Mid-1800s]
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Refuse to comply, remain opposed, as in The one juror is standing out against a guilty verdict . [Late 1500s]
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.
Hammerheads stand out from other shark species by the distinctive shape of their heads, which stick out perpendicular to their bodies in the shape of, well, a hammer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Job seekers are looking to stand out by gaining new AI-related skills or by simply adding AI buzzwords to their work history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Of course, it’s always been the case that to stand out in the hiring process one needs to offer something that other job candidates don’t.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Murrill’s hard-line tactics, particularly in Brooks’ case, stand out among her peers in other states, said Jeffrey Gutman, a professor emeritus at the George Washington University Law School and a national expert on compensation funds.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
As the king comes down the gangplank the light breaks through a last time, and his white figure and the great arch stand out a moment vivid and splendid against the storm-darkened south.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
