is very outstanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is very outstanding" is not correct in standard English usage.
It is redundant because "outstanding" already implies a high degree of excellence, making "very" unnecessary. Example: "Her performance in the play is outstanding."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Especially, the EG enzyme activity is very outstanding.

AMB Express

More importantly, the specific capacitance of α-Ni(OH 2 electrode, which is as large as 810.4 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, is very outstanding.

Materials Chemistry and Physics

I think the list is very outstanding".

Vice

Layer V is very outstanding, with the presence of large, darkly stained pyramids although the layer as a whole is thinner as compared with TPC.

Cerebral Cortex

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Although the results of alone Zernike moment features in the Outex database are very outstanding, they are not stable compared with the proposed method because the results in the CUReT and KTH-TIPS databases are very bad.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Also, the incorporation of plasmonic metal nanoparticles (NPs) into the electrode (usually m-TiO2) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to boost the light absorption due to their localized surface plasmon (LSP) effect has been very outstanding [14, 15, 16, 17].

Materials for Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Of course, when I look back, the three albums with Bill Bruford were very outstanding, because Bill invented the kind of way the drummer didn't splash around like most drummers did.

Huffington Post

Performance of the controller in term of transient response and robustness against failure is very good and outstanding.

International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems

Well, the success of Amour is a counterbalance to the red, white and blue of this year's Oscars and it is very good to see this outstanding film being recognised.

The Guardian - Film

For all its occasionally unfinished look, Jobson's aesthetic concern for texture and light is very impressive, and McKidd gives an outstanding performance.

The Guardian

If this was the case, there appears to be very few "outstanding" educators left in the country.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "outstanding" alone to describe something of exceptional quality. Avoid adding "very" as it's redundant.

Common error

Don't use "very" before "outstanding". The word "outstanding" already implies a high degree of excellence, so adding "very" is unnecessary and weakens the statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a predicative adjective phrase, intended to describe a noun as being of exceptionally high quality. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is grammatically incorrect due to redundancy, as "outstanding" inherently implies a high degree of excellence.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "is very outstanding" attempts to emphasize exceptional quality but is considered grammatically incorrect because it's redundant. As Ludwig highlights, "outstanding" already implies a high degree of excellence. While sources like The New York Times and The Guardian use it, it's advisable to use alternatives such as "is exceptional" or "is remarkable" for more precise and effective communication. To highlight the superlative nature of something, you can also use "is truly outstanding", but it should be used sparingly.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is exceptional

Replaces "very outstanding" with a single word conveying high quality.

is remarkable

Similar to "exceptional", emphasizing the noteworthy nature.

is truly outstanding

Adds emphasis without being grammatically incorrect, although still somewhat redundant.

is highly remarkable

Similar to outstanding, and indicates a high degree of excellence.

is extraordinarily good

Uses a different adjective to convey a high level of quality.

is of the highest caliber

Indicates top quality or excellence.

is supremely excellent

Uses different words to express very high quality.

is notably superior

Highlights the superior quality in a noticeable way.

is impressively exceptional

Combines adverbs and adjectives for emphasis on rare quality.

is singularly impressive

Indicates a unique and impressive quality.

FAQs

What does "outstanding" mean?

"Outstanding" means exceptionally good or impressive. It implies something that stands out from others in terms of quality or merit.

Is it correct to say something "is very outstanding"?

No, it is redundant. Saying something is "very outstanding" is similar to saying it is "very excellent"—the word "outstanding" already implies a high degree of quality.

What can I say instead of "is very outstanding"?

You can use alternatives like "is exceptional", "is remarkable", or "is truly outstanding" for emphasis.

How can I use "outstanding" in a sentence?

You can say, "Her performance was outstanding," or "The team showed outstanding effort" to indicate exceptional quality or merit.