1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary
an exceptional amount of snow fell in March
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disabled
deprived of the power to perform one or more natural bodily activities
her experience working with exceptional children was rewarding and inspiring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind
a special school for exceptional children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exceptional
Wedding Dress Sign up for Vogue’s wedding newsletter, an all-access invitation to the exceptional and inspirational, plus planning tips and advice
Never miss a Vogue moment and get unlimited digital access for just $2 $1 per month.
—
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
January’s nonfarm payrolls data reported Friday showed a rosy but not exceptional picture of the labor market.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025
Kittle’s Salute to Service Award, presented by the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), recognizes exceptional efforts to honor and support the military community.
—Ada Tseng, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
The results indicate that, despite the exceptional diversity in skull shapes among domestic breeds, these variations do not correspond to structural adaptations necessary for biting and smelling.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for exceptional 
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2025
January’s nonfarm payrolls data reported Friday showed a rosy but not exceptional picture of the labor market.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025
Kittle’s Salute to Service Award, presented by the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), recognizes exceptional efforts to honor and support the military community.
—Ada Tseng, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
The results indicate that, despite the exceptional diversity in skull shapes among domestic breeds, these variations do not correspond to structural adaptations necessary for biting and smelling.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for exceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exceptional
Adjective
-
Drivers hover by the gates to transport you off on a moment’s notice: the spa, paddle, pickle, and tennis courts, the local waterfalls, the extraordinary hikes, the water sports, chocolate making.—
Giles Hattersley,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
-
This extraordinary event serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of wildlife encounters and the importance of maintaining respect and caution when exploring habitats shared with such magnificent creatures.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
More than one generation of disabled children has grown up under the protections Section 504 provides us.—
Rebekah Taussig,
TIME,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Villa de Vida housing for disabled adults and Soroptimist International of Poway received $3,500; and Blissful Seeds and Helping Hands Ministry received $3,000.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Chahine is clearly an intelligent person, and his experience in finance has obviously helped him during this esports journey, making decisions that traditional esports execs may not have made.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
8 Feb. 2025
-
At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.—
Kevin Spencer,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Available in three sophisticated shades – carbon, affogato, and flute (a light, blue-tinged grey) – it’s spun from 100% cashmere sourced from a prestigious Italian mill regarded as the world’s finest, and knitted to be a double-faced jersey, which is unusual.—
Benedict Browne,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Local business ads sometimes ran to 10 pages with 30 plus Christmas business ads not being unusual and 12- 14 bars invited you to visit them.—
Bob Roepke,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who thinks this is funny or clever needs to listen more and talk less.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Scammers are getting more clever all the time and I’ve almost been fooled by a few of them.—
Jason Ogaard,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
While the runway is the main event, street style is equally captivating, attracting its own unique crowds with a few familiar faces making regular appearances.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Each location has unique factors including weather patterns, traffic volume and geographic features that trainees must master before becoming certified.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The adult male driver was subsequently arrested for driving while impaired.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
-
It is typically used in legal settings to check for impaired driving or underage drinking, employment to test for on-the-job alcohol consumption, or to test for alcohol poisoning.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
That would already warrant a warm welcome, but the entire necklace featured more than 2,300 diamonds in pear, brilliant and baguette cuts in a white gold ribbon that frames the neck.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
10 Feb. 2025
-
The language a writer uses, Robbins said — dense, sparkling, brilliant, evocative and seductive — was ultimately more important than their message.—
Tom Vitale,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near exceptional
Cite this Entry
“Exceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exceptional. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share