close to excellent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "close to excellent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is nearly excellent or very good, but not quite at the highest standard. Example: "The restaurant's service was close to excellent, making our dining experience very enjoyable."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

In winter we are close to excellent downhill skiing.

The Economist

Food at the Red Hen Café is close to excellent.

The New York Times

As predicted, when assessing the highest stages of AD-related NT pathology, the agreements were close to excellent.

Brain Pathology

The highest score per cluster was 4.8 (close to excellent involvement) and the lowest was 1.4 (close to no involvement).

British Medical Journal

Advanced classifier analysis yielded an AUC of 0.87 for a three gene test, which is considered close to excellent (AUC > 0.90) at separating responders from non-responders.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

The model performance was good, close to excellent, which gives support to the idea that modelling ecologically similar species under a single model might be a justifiable approach.

BMC Ecology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

This happens because the probability of two adjacent parallelograms to be EXCELLENT is not independent: parallelograms close to an EXCELLENT one have an increased probability to be EXCELLENT too.

Algorithms for Molecular Biology

Being so close to the excellent clarinetist Vadim Lando and the pianist Richard Bishop made a big difference in the impact of the music, especially Mr. Lando's subdued pianissimo playing.

The New York Times - Arts

It features superb performances, and comes close to being an excellent piece.

The Guardian

EmilyJC The lovely colonial town of Paraty, close to hundreds of excellent beaches, is well connected by regular buses to and from Rio (four hours) and Sao Paolo (six hours), and the latter is your best bet as a point of transit to Foz do Iguaçu, as the falls are known on the Brazilian side.

The Guardian - Travel

They exhibit coverage close to 100%% and excellent quality criteria, therefore they are applicable in chemoinformatics.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "close to excellent" to convey a positive assessment that acknowledges a minor degree of imperfection or room for improvement. It provides a nuanced evaluation that is more credible than simply stating "excellent".

Common error

While "close to excellent" is acceptable, overuse in formal contexts can sound repetitive or uninspired. Vary your language with stronger synonyms like "outstanding", "superb", or "exemplary" to maintain a professional tone and add impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "close to excellent" functions as an adjectival phrase. It modifies a noun by expressing a high degree of quality, almost reaching the standard of excellence. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the expression is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "close to excellent" is a grammatically correct and usable adjectival phrase that indicates a high level of quality, nearly reaching the standard of excellence. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, particularly in scientific and news media. While versatile, it's best to avoid overuse in overly formal writing to maintain impact. Consider alternatives like "nearly perfect" or "almost flawless" to add variety. Remember to use "close to excellent" when you want to give a positive assessment while acknowledging minor imperfections, providing a more nuanced and credible evaluation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly perfect

Indicates a state of almost being without fault; slight emphasis on the nearness to perfection.

almost flawless

Highlights the absence of significant imperfections; slightly more focused on identifying any minor flaws.

approaching perfection

Suggests movement toward a state of ideal quality; implies an ongoing process of improvement.

virtually impeccable

Emphasizes the difficulty in finding any faults; carries a tone of strong approval.

close to ideal

Indicates proximity to an optimal or model condition; focuses on meeting desired criteria.

bordering on superb

Implies a quality that is on the verge of being outstanding; adds a sense of excitement or anticipation.

tantamount to brilliant

Elevates the assessment to near brilliance; adds a touch of hyperbole.

as good as it gets

Suggests that the quality is at the highest achievable level; carries a tone of finality.

nearing top quality

Focuses on the quality being near to the best attainable; highlights the quality aspect.

on the verge of perfection

Implies a future achievement of perfection; includes a sense of potential.

FAQs

How can I use "close to excellent" in a sentence?

You can use "close to excellent" to describe something that almost reaches the highest standard. For example, "The restaurant's service was "close to excellent", making our dining experience very enjoyable".

What can I say instead of "close to excellent"?

You can use alternatives like "nearly perfect", "almost flawless", or "approaching perfection" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "excellent" or "close to excellent"?

It depends on the context. "Excellent" implies perfection, while "close to excellent" acknowledges minor imperfections. Use ""close to excellent"" when you want to give a positive assessment but recognize there's still room for improvement.

What's the difference between "close to excellent" and "very good"?

"Close to excellent" suggests a higher level of quality than "very good". While both are positive, ""close to excellent"" implies that something is just a small step away from being the best.