Standard Lemma guide

outstanding

adj · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˌaʊtˈstæn.dɪŋ/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /ˌʌʊtˈstæn.dɪŋ/
  • Australian: /ˌæɔtˈstæn.dɪŋ/
  • rhymes with -ændɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: AW2 T S T AE1 N D IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Prominent or noticeable; sovereign.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eminent, noteworthy, illustrious, distinguished, forestanding, markworthy, mentionable, nameable, namely, nameworthy, notable, sensational, extraordinaire, noticeable, observable, outstanding, pass-remarkable, ponderable, prominent, remarkable, signal, sovereign

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Exceptionally good; distinguished from others by its superiority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: amazing, impressive, surpassing, astounding, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, sensational, awesomesauce, based, beatific, bewildering, blissful, celestial, cool, delightful, divine, dope, enchanting, excellent, extraordinary, far out, fire, heavenlike, heavenly, hellagood, incredible, inspiring, goshwow, glorious, gnarly, goated, grand, grandiose, great, groovy, magnificent, major, majestic, marvellous, mystifying, mythic, neat, lit, outstanding, phenomenal, powerful, rad, righteous, selcouth, splendent, stupendous, stupefying, sublime, terrific, tight, unbelievable, unreal, wicked, wonderful, wondrous

Antonyms: mediocre

3

adj

Meaning 3

Projecting outwards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prominent, protuberant, bulging, exserted, extuberant, jutting, obtrusive, outstanding, projecting, projectory, promontorial, protruding, protuberous, salient

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Unresolved; not settled or finished.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I have several outstanding tasks on my to-do list.
  • Are there any outstanding issues that need to be addressed?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfinished, unsettled, wide open

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Owed as a debt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • You must pay any outstanding corporate card balance immediately.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unpaid, unsettled, delinquent

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

present participle and gerund of outstand

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an outstanding fact of our time is that nations poisoned by anti semitism proved less fortunate in regard to their own freedom
  • a new theory is the most prominent feature of the book
  • salient traits
  • a spectacular rise in prices
  • a striking thing about Picadilly Circus is the statue of Eros in the center
  • a striking resemblance between parent and child

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prominent, salient, spectacular, striking

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

of major significance or importance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a great work of art
  • Einstein was one of the outstanding figures of the 20th centurey

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: great

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

owed as a debt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • outstanding bills
  • the amount still owed
  • undischarged debts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: owing(p), undischarged

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

distinguished from others in excellence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • did outstanding work in human relations
  • an outstanding war record

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From outstand, equivalent to out- + standing or outstand + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

175 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: открояващ се (otkrojavašt se) — standing out from others
  • Catalan: destacat — standing out from others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 突出 (tūchū) — standing out from others
  • Danish: fremragende — standing out from others
  • Dutch: bijzonder — standing out from others
  • Dutch: prominent — standing out from others
  • Esperanto: elstara — standing out from others
  • Finnish: huomattava — standing out from others
  • Finnish: silmäänpistävä — standing out from others
  • Finnish: esiinpistävä — standing out from others
  • Finnish: merkittävä — standing out from others
  • French: exceptionnel — standing out from others
  • French: remarquable — standing out from others
  • Georgian: გამორჩეული (gamorčeuli) — standing out from others
  • Georgian: გამოჩენილი (gamočenili) — standing out from others
  • Georgian: შესანიშნავი (šesanišnavi) — standing out from others
  • German: herausragend — standing out from others
  • German: hervorstechend — standing out from others
  • German: hervorragend — standing out from others
  • Greek: εξαιρετικός (exairetikós) — standing out from others
  • Greek: ξεχωριστός (xechoristós) — standing out from others
  • Hebrew: בולט (bolét) — standing out from others
  • Italian: eccezionale — standing out from others
  • Italian: notevole — standing out from others
  • Japanese: 顕著な (kencho na) — standing out from others
  • Latin: praestans — standing out from others
  • Latvian: izcils — standing out from others
  • Māori: kōhure — standing out from others
  • Māori: taumata rau — standing out from others
  • Norwegian: fremragende — standing out from others
  • Polish: wyróżniający się — standing out from others
  • Portuguese: excepcional — standing out from others
  • Portuguese: extraordinário — standing out from others
  • Portuguese: destacado — standing out from others
  • Romanian: excepțional — standing out from others
  • Russian: выдаю́щийся (vydajúščijsja) — standing out from others
  • Russian: незауря́дный (nezaurjádnyj) — standing out from others
  • Russian: знамени́тый (znamenítyj) — standing out from others
  • Scottish Gaelic: air leth — standing out from others
  • Spanish: destacado — standing out from others
  • Spanish: sobresaliente — standing out from others
  • Spanish: descollante — standing out from others
  • Sundanese: congcolang — standing out from others
  • Ukrainian: видатни́й (vydatnýj) — standing out from others
  • Bulgarian: виден (viden) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Bulgarian: изтъкнат (iztǎknat) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Catalan: excepcional — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Chinese Cantonese: 卓然 (coek3 jin4) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Chinese Mandarin: 優秀 /优秀 (yōuxiù) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Chinese Mandarin: 出色 (chūsè) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Czech: vynikající — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Dutch: bijzonder — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Dutch: vooraanstaand — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Esperanto: elstara — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Finnish: erinomainen — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • French: exceptionnel — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • French: remarquable — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • French: hors pair — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Georgian: გამოჩენილი (gamočenili) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Georgian: გამორჩეული (gamorčeuli) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Georgian: შესანიშნავი (šesanišnavi) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • German: hervorragend — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • German: ausgezeichnet — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hebrew: יוצא מן הכלל (yotzé min haklál) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hebrew: יוצא דופן (yotzé dófen) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hungarian: kiváló — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hungarian: kiemelkedő — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hungarian: kimagasló — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Hungarian: jeles — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Italian: eccezionale — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Italian: notevole — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Japanese: 傑出した (kesshutsu shita) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Latin: praestābilis — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Latvian: izcils — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Manx: ard-yindyssagh — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Māori: kātuarehe — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Māori: kōhure — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Norwegian: fremragende — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Polish: znakomity — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Polish: doskonały — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Polish: wybitny — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Portuguese: excepcional — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Portuguese: extraordinário — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Portuguese: destacado — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Romanian: extraordinar — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Russian: выдаю́щийся (vydajúščijsja) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Russian: незауря́дный (nezaurjádnyj) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Russian: знамени́тый (znamenítyj) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Scottish Gaelic: air leth — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Spanish: destacado — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Spanish: distinguido — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Spanish: descollante — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Spanish: prestante — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Spanish: excelso — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Sundanese: congcolang — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Swedish: enastående — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Turkish: mükemmel — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Ukrainian: видатни́й (vydatnýj) — distinguished from others by its superiority
  • Bulgarian: издаден (izdaden) — projecting outwards
  • Bulgarian: стърчащ (stǎrčašt) — projecting outwards
  • Catalan: sobresortint — projecting outwards
  • Dutch: overhellend — projecting outwards
  • French: saillant — projecting outwards
  • German: überstehend — projecting outwards
  • German: hervorstehend — projecting outwards
  • Hungarian: kiálló — projecting outwards
  • Hungarian: kiugró — projecting outwards
  • Hungarian: kiemelkedő — projecting outwards
  • Italian: saliente — projecting outwards
  • Māori: koure — projecting outwards
  • Norwegian: utstående — projecting outwards
  • Polish: sterczący — projecting outwards
  • Polish: wystający — projecting outwards
  • Portuguese: destacado — projecting outwards
  • Portuguese: saliente — projecting outwards
  • Russian: выдаю́щийся (vydajúščijsja) — projecting outwards
  • Russian: выступа́ющий (vystupájuščij) — projecting outwards
  • Russian: торча́щий (torčáščij) — projecting outwards
  • Russian: выпира́ющийся (vypirájuščijsja) — projecting outwards
  • Spanish: sobresaliente — projecting outwards
  • Swedish: utstående — projecting outwards
  • Ottoman Turkish: تومسك (tümsek) — projecting outwards
  • Bulgarian: неразрешен (nerazrešen) — not settled or finished
  • Catalan: pendent — not settled or finished
  • Danish: udestående — not settled or finished
  • Dutch: onopgelost — not settled or finished
  • Dutch: openstaand — not settled or finished
  • French: en suspens — not settled or finished
  • Georgian: შეუსრულებელი (šeusrulebeli) — not settled or finished
  • Georgian: აუსრულებელი (ausrulebeli) — not settled or finished
  • German: ausstehend — not settled or finished
  • Hungarian: megoldatlan — not settled or finished
  • Hungarian: rendezetlen — not settled or finished
  • Hungarian: elintézetlen — not settled or finished
  • Hungarian: fennálló — not settled or finished
  • Hungarian: hátravan — not settled or finished
  • Irish: gan réiteach — not settled or finished
  • Irish: idir chamáin — not settled or finished
  • Italian: irrisolto — not settled or finished
  • Norwegian: utestående — not settled or finished
  • Polish: niezałatwiony — not settled or finished
  • Portuguese: pendente — not settled or finished
  • Russian: невы́полненный (nevýpolnennyj) — not settled or finished
  • Russian: незако́нченный (nezakónčennyj) — not settled or finished
  • Swedish: oavklarad — not settled or finished
  • Afrikaans: uitstaande — owed as a debt
  • Bulgarian: неизплатен (neizplaten) — owed as a debt
  • Catalan: pendent — owed as a debt
  • Chinese Mandarin: 拖欠 (tuōqiàn) — owed as a debt
  • Czech: nesplacený — owed as a debt
  • Dutch: uitstaand — owed as a debt
  • Dutch: openstaand — owed as a debt
  • Finnish: maksamaton — owed as a debt
  • French: débiteur — owed as a debt
  • Georgian: გადაუხდელი (gadauxdeli) — owed as a debt
  • Georgian: დაუფარავი (dauparavi) — owed as a debt
  • German: ausstehend — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: kifizetetlen — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: visszafizetetlen — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: kinnlevő — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: kintlevő — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: hátralékos — owed as a debt
  • Hungarian: rendezetlen — owed as a debt
  • Icelandic: útistandandi — owed as a debt
  • Italian: in sospesso — owed as a debt
  • Italian: in pendenza — owed as a debt
  • Norwegian: utestående — owed as a debt
  • Polish: zaległy — owed as a debt
  • Polish: niespłacony — owed as a debt
  • Polish: nieuregulowany — owed as a debt
  • Portuguese: pendente — owed as a debt
  • Russian: неупла́ченный (neupláčennyj) — owed as a debt
  • Russian: неопла́ченный (neopláčennyj) — owed as a debt
  • Spanish: circulante — owed as a debt
  • Spanish: en circulación — owed as a debt
Real reading context

outstanding in complete knowledge articles