distinctly good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "distinctly good" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the clarity or strong quality of something that is considered good. Example: "The restaurant's service was distinctly good, making our dining experience truly enjoyable."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Maybe alt-folk-rock isn't your thing (not everyone was a teenager in the 90s), but Stein's vocals on Somebody's Sister are distinctly good.

The Guardian - Music

But other than a sore knee for Elsie, the team did well enough that a professional mountaineer rated their performance "distinctly good".

The Guardian

Armie Hammer Pros: He's got a distinctly good guy, All-American look about him -- after all, he was Prince Charming to Lily Collins Snow Whitee.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Reds are distinctly better, good examples being Kabinet or Dingac, which is a really heavy red.

The Guardian - Travel

Nor, in the battle scenes, is there any doubt about who is on which side; all the bad guys are ugly and gnarly and, in Lewis's descriptions, sound distinctly Asiatic, while the good army is made up of noble horses and eagles and English people with excellent RP.

The Guardian - Books

To test this, they and three colleagues looked into the installation of solar panels, a distinctly "non-normative" good: Only 0.4percentt of American households had solar panels in 2014.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

And Puck (Andrew Stewart-Jones) is distinctly diabolical and a good deal sassier to Oberon than most Pucks.

The New York Times

"He was pretty blunt," said Wood. "I had been injured at the time and thought in my mind that was a legitimate excuse but he said that what he had seen from me had not been good enough, distinctly average if I remember.

The Guardian - Sport

Even so, the discovery of the distinctly un-finger-lickin'-good worm in KFC India's app plays into wider debate about the threat that malware poses on smartphones, with Android often the focus of researchers' concerns.

The Guardian - Tech

Supermarkets' own online delivery services can be a distinctly underwhelming experience — with goods ordered online frequently swapped out for substitute items if they are not available at the store where the order was made up (e.g. the cat's favour brand of cat food being swapped for one they won't eat).

TechCrunch

Before the start of this year's Six Nations Championship, Warren Gatland, the Wales coach, hinted that it took a distinctly second place behind a good World Cup in the autumn.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "distinctly good" to emphasize a positive quality that is easily noticeable or stands out, such as "The play's direction was distinctly good, making it a memorable experience."

Common error

While "distinctly good" is grammatically sound, it can sound overly formal or stiff in casual conversation. Opt for more natural-sounding alternatives like "really good" or "exceptionally good" to maintain a conversational tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "distinctly good" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, where the adverb "distinctly" modifies the adjective "good". It serves to intensify the quality of being good, emphasizing its clarity and obviousness. According to Ludwig AI, this is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "distinctly good" is a grammatically correct and usable expression, though Ludwig AI suggests that it has a relatively low frequency of use. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it serves to emphasize the clarity and obviousness of something's positive quality. For more casual settings, consider alternatives such as "really good" or "exceptionally good" to maintain a natural conversational tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

markedly good

Replaces "distinctly" with "markedly", indicating a noticeable degree of goodness.

clearly excellent

Substitutes both words to convey obvious high quality.

noticeably superior

Uses "noticeably" instead of "distinctly" and "superior" instead of "good", suggesting that something is visibly better.

patently positive

Employs "patently" to highlight the obvious and unequivocal nature of the good quality.

unquestionably fine

Indicates that something is good without any doubt.

particularly commendable

Replaces "good" with "commendable" to suggest something deserving praise and notes it is particular.

exceptionally favorable

Uses stronger terms to emphasize a much higher level of positivity.

strikingly positive

Highlights how notably good something is.

unmistakably virtuous

Emphasizes the virtue or moral excellence in a clear and evident way.

remarkably advantageous

Shifts the focus to the beneficial or favorable qualities of something.

FAQs

What does "distinctly good" mean?

The phrase "distinctly good" means something is clearly and noticeably of high quality. It emphasizes that the goodness is easily perceived and not subtle.

What can I say instead of "distinctly good"?

You can use alternatives like "markedly good", "clearly excellent", or "noticeably superior" depending on the context.

How can I use "distinctly good" in a sentence?

You can use "distinctly good" to describe something that is noticeably positive, such as, "The chef's skills were distinctly good, evident in every dish."

Is "distinctly good" formal or informal?

The phrase "distinctly good" leans towards the formal side but can be used in neutral contexts as well. It's suitable for professional writing or situations where you want to emphasize clarity and quality.