Outstanding means either remarkably excellent or currently unresolved and waiting for attention.
Wort in 30 Sekunden
- Used to describe something of exceptionally high quality.
- Refers to tasks, debts, or issues that remain unfinished.
- Commonly used in professional and academic evaluations.
Overview
The word 'outstanding' is a versatile adjective used primarily to praise quality or identify unfinished business. It carries a strong positive connotation when describing performance or results, implying that something stands out from the rest due to its high standard. Conversely, in financial or administrative contexts, it denotes items that have not yet been settled or resolved.
Usage Patterns
When used to describe quality, it functions as a gradable adjective. You can modify it with intensifiers like 'truly,' 'absolutely,' or 'simply' to emphasize the degree of excellence. When used in the sense of 'unpaid,' it is typically used as a predicate adjective after a noun, such as 'the balance is outstanding.'
Common Contexts
In a professional setting, an 'outstanding performance' is often cited during employee reviews. In academic environments, students might receive an 'outstanding grade' for exceptional work. In finance, 'outstanding invoices' or 'outstanding debt' refers to money that is still owed to a company or individual.
Similar Words Comparison
'Excellent' is a common synonym but lacks the nuance of 'standing out' from a crowd that 'outstanding' provides. 'Remarkable' implies something is worthy of attention or notice, whereas 'outstanding' focuses more on the superior quality of the result. 'Unpaid' is a clearer, more literal alternative to 'outstanding' when referring to debt, as it avoids the ambiguity of the positive meaning.
Beispiele
She did an outstanding job on the presentation.
everydayElla hizo un trabajo sobresaliente en la presentación.
We have several outstanding issues that need to be resolved.
formalTenemos varios asuntos pendientes que deben ser resueltos.
That pizza was absolutely outstanding!
informal¡Esa pizza estuvo absolutamente increíble!
The research provides an outstanding contribution to the field.
academicLa investigación proporciona una contribución destacada al campo.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
outstanding debt
Deuda pendiente
outstanding work
Trabajo excelente
outstanding achievement
Logro sobresaliente
Wird oft verwechselt mit
Outstanding is an adjective describing quality. Standing out is a phrasal verb meaning to be visually distinct or noticeable.
Outstanding implies being better than the group, whereas excellent simply means very good.
Grammatikmuster
How to Use It
Nutzungshinweise
Outstanding is widely used in both professional and casual contexts. In professional environments, it is a high-level compliment. In financial contexts, it is a technical term for debt, so context is key to avoiding miscommunication.
Häufige Fehler
Learners often use 'outstanding' only for positive situations, forgetting the financial meaning. Another mistake is using it as an adverb; it should be used as an adjective (e.g., 'He performed outstandingly' is the adverbial form).
Tips
Use for high praise
Use 'outstanding' when you want to give a compliment stronger than 'good' or 'great.' It implies the person or work is among the very best.
Avoid confusion in finance
Be careful when using 'outstanding' in business. If you say 'the bill is outstanding,' it might confuse someone who thinks you mean the bill is excellent.
Professional feedback culture
In Western corporate culture, being labeled 'outstanding' is often the highest tier of performance reviews. It is a highly valued descriptor in professional development.
Wortherkunft
Derived from the verb 'outstand,' which meant to stand out or project outward. The meaning evolved in the 17th century to signify something that remains unsettled or unpaid, and later, something that is figuratively prominent or excellent.
Kultureller Kontext
In many English-speaking cultures, 'outstanding' is the term used on formal certificates and performance awards. It carries a sense of significant achievement that is recognized by peers or authorities.
Merkhilfe
Think of someone standing out from a crowd because they are taller or brighter; they are 'outstanding' in excellence. For the financial meaning, think of a bill 'standing out' on your desk because it hasn't been paid yet.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
4 FragenYes, you can describe a person as outstanding if they show exceptional talent or character. For example, 'She is an outstanding leader' means she is much better than most others.
No, it depends on the context. If you are talking about a debt or an invoice, it means the money has not been paid yet, which is not necessarily positive.
It is neutral to formal. It is very common in business and academic writing but is also frequently used in everyday conversation to give high praise.
Outstanding is an adjective used to describe a quality. Standing out is a verb phrase describing the action of being easily noticeable or different from the rest.
Teste dich selbst
The student received an ___ grade for her final project.
In the context of grades, 'outstanding' refers to excellence.
What does 'outstanding' mean here?
When referring to invoices, 'outstanding' means they have not been paid yet.
performance / has / an / he / outstanding / given
This follows the standard SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure in English.
Ergebnis: /3
Summary
Outstanding means either remarkably excellent or currently unresolved and waiting for attention.
- Used to describe something of exceptionally high quality.
- Refers to tasks, debts, or issues that remain unfinished.
- Commonly used in professional and academic evaluations.
Use for high praise
Use 'outstanding' when you want to give a compliment stronger than 'good' or 'great.' It implies the person or work is among the very best.
Avoid confusion in finance
Be careful when using 'outstanding' in business. If you say 'the bill is outstanding,' it might confuse someone who thinks you mean the bill is excellent.
Professional feedback culture
In Western corporate culture, being labeled 'outstanding' is often the highest tier of performance reviews. It is a highly valued descriptor in professional development.
Beispiele
4 von 4She did an outstanding job on the presentation.
Ella hizo un trabajo sobresaliente en la presentación.
We have several outstanding issues that need to be resolved.
Tenemos varios asuntos pendientes que deben ser resueltos.
That pizza was absolutely outstanding!
¡Esa pizza estuvo absolutamente increíble!
The research provides an outstanding contribution to the field.
La investigación proporciona una contribución destacada al campo.
