1
as in extraordinary
being out of the ordinary
an exceptional amount of snow fell in March
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of exceptional
Our hypothetical ambitious fifteen-year-old is exceptional, of course, and certainly not the bellwether for today’s disaffection about higher education.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026
Sadiq is a versatile tight end who the Jets hope will make an impact as both a pass catcher and for his exceptional downfield blocking.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
No matter what unfolds over Tuesday and Wednesday, the Champions League final promises to be a spectacle with Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG all exceptional in their own way.
—Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Awarded by Columbia University, the prize — the country’s top journalism honor — recognizes exceptional coverage of significant issues of local or statewide concern.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for exceptional
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026
Sadiq is a versatile tight end who the Jets hope will make an impact as both a pass catcher and for his exceptional downfield blocking.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
No matter what unfolds over Tuesday and Wednesday, the Champions League final promises to be a spectacle with Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG all exceptional in their own way.
—Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Awarded by Columbia University, the prize — the country’s top journalism honor — recognizes exceptional coverage of significant issues of local or statewide concern.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for exceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exceptional
Adjective
-
Cheng traces how, with the help of Kim’s son Jong Il and a distant uncle who was once a pastor, Kim borrowed the tactics of religion to solidify extraordinary psychological control over an entire population.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The second-degree murder charge, officially classified as a class 2 felony with an extraordinary risk of harm, carries an average prison sentence of 17 years, according to nonpartisan legislative analysts.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Singh said the man lived alone with his disabled son, who required round-the-clock care and supervision.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
More than 4,100 Miami-Dade residents, all of whom are formerly homeless and disabled, live in permanent housing units paid for by the program.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cold, calculating and highly intelligent, Dedra saw the rebellion coming when none of her other peers did.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
-
Here, intelligent driving features are ubiquitous, even in affordable models.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
But, in other respects, your approach to the future might have been unusual, at least by our modern lights.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
They have also been shown to exhibit play behavior with objects in their enclosures, highly unusual behavior for a reptile.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
In Caveat, Isaac (Johnny French) and Olga (Leila Sykes) are both recovering from traumatic events that have left them impaired — him an amnesiac, her intermittently catatonic.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require new vehicles to include technology that can detect impaired driving and stop a car if something is wrong.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps clever legal strategies might find ways to meet the justices’ new standards, or perhaps experts might come up with new metrics to mathematically prove discrimination, even when intent is vague.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Niko Medved is very smart, very clever at using that zone.—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
This routine isn’t exactly unique.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 May 2026
-
Cascading varieties have a unique habit, with some stems growing upward, and others growing out and slightly down.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through simple text and brilliant animal illustrations reminiscent of Eric Carle’s finest, Caldecott honoree Christian Robinson presents a lovely and nuanced portrait of dads across the animal kingdom, from lions to seahorses to humans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
As the rodeo-ropin’ wife to Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist, Hathaway landed her first blush with a world-class filmmaker but a fraction of the notices that her equally brilliant peers Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, and Gyllenhaal received.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exceptional. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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