: of the first order of size, importance, or quality
first-rateness
noun
: very well
is getting along first-rate—
Mark Twain
Mark TwainSynonyms
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- lovely
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Examples of first-rate in a Sentence
Adjective
wanted a first-rate bike and not the cheap model she had been using
Recent Examples on the WebRobert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
Guests can dig into a first-rate meal at Lycabettus Restaurant, which sits perched at the edge of the cliff, providing some of the best sunset views on the island.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2024
In addition to being a historian, Rick is a journalist, and a career-long one, and of course a first-rate one.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 May 2024
The cast is first-rate, pairing hot young stars like Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza with Coppola veterans Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito, though their performances are oddly cartoonish.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 May 2024
And all of it was delivered by a band of first-rate players — founding members Cory Lerios on keyboards and David Jenkins on vocals and guitar as well as bassist Larry Antonino, drummer Sergio Gonzalez and vocalist Robbie Wyckoff.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
There’s no way to revive old forms or to rework old forms, because the artist is never going to understand them well enough to do first-rate work.
—Anna Kodé, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Coach Leon Rice quietly does a first-rate job, year after year.
6.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
The cuisine is first-rate, with Chef Roland Lamprecht’s fare drawn from the surrounding forest.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Sherrie Nachman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The island is known for its outdoor experiences, including first-rate scuba diving at Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, kayaking Salt Lake in Vatudamu, and hiking to see Maroroya Falls.
—Adrienne Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2023
In a career that stretched across more than six decades, Shorter established himself as a singular tenor and soprano saxophonist, brilliant composer, fearless improviser and first-rate band leader.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2023
Casting is also first-rate, with a string of vivid performances by actors who are not household names but who all meet the demands of their roles.
—Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2023
The concept is tried and tested: top-notch classic Italian dishes made from first-rate produce.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
Alongside them in the chute will be a competitive cluster of first-rate mushers with plenty of top-10 finishes each, including Jessie Royer, Wade Marrs, Richie Diehl, Matt Hall, Mille Porsild and Jessie Holmes.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
United by a love of the region’s first-rate produce, this community of chefs, restaurateurs, and hoteliers is equally committed to supporting one another.
—Eliza Dumais, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2023
Careful site planning means that walking among these ruins really does feel like stepping into the past, and the adjacent archaeological museum is first-rate.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
Cumberbatch has Vincent turned up to high most of the time, but he’s surrounded by quieter performances from a first-rate cast.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
Guests can dig into a first-rate meal at Lycabettus Restaurant, which sits perched at the edge of the cliff, providing some of the best sunset views on the island.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2024
In addition to being a historian, Rick is a journalist, and a career-long one, and of course a first-rate one.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 May 2024
The cast is first-rate, pairing hot young stars like Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza with Coppola veterans Laurence Fishburne and Giancarlo Esposito, though their performances are oddly cartoonish.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 16 May 2024
And all of it was delivered by a band of first-rate players — founding members Cory Lerios on keyboards and David Jenkins on vocals and guitar as well as bassist Larry Antonino, drummer Sergio Gonzalez and vocalist Robbie Wyckoff.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
There’s no way to revive old forms or to rework old forms, because the artist is never going to understand them well enough to do first-rate work.
—Anna Kodé, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Coach Leon Rice quietly does a first-rate job, year after year.
6.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
The cuisine is first-rate, with Chef Roland Lamprecht’s fare drawn from the surrounding forest.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Adverb
The sushi is first-rate and the creative rolls include the Rainbow which manages to contains tuna, salmon, hamachi, shrimp and avocado.
—Sherrie Nachman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
The island is known for its outdoor experiences, including first-rate scuba diving at Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, kayaking Salt Lake in Vatudamu, and hiking to see Maroroya Falls.
—Adrienne Jordan, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2023
In a career that stretched across more than six decades, Shorter established himself as a singular tenor and soprano saxophonist, brilliant composer, fearless improviser and first-rate band leader.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2023
Casting is also first-rate, with a string of vivid performances by actors who are not household names but who all meet the demands of their roles.
—Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2023
The concept is tried and tested: top-notch classic Italian dishes made from first-rate produce.
—Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023
Alongside them in the chute will be a competitive cluster of first-rate mushers with plenty of top-10 finishes each, including Jessie Royer, Wade Marrs, Richie Diehl, Matt Hall, Mille Porsild and Jessie Holmes.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Feb. 2023
United by a love of the region’s first-rate produce, this community of chefs, restaurateurs, and hoteliers is equally committed to supporting one another.
—Eliza Dumais, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2023
Careful site planning means that walking among these ruins really does feel like stepping into the past, and the adjacent archaeological museum is first-rate.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first-rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near first-rate
Cite this Entry
“First-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-rate. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
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