EXCEPTIONAL Synonyms: 247 Similar and Opposite Words

exceptional

adjective

ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl

Definition of exceptional

as in extraordinary

being out of the ordinary an exceptional amount of snow fell in March

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 This year’s Loeb recognized Lizzy Lawrence for her exceptional beat reporting on the Food and Drug Administration. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 9 Oct. 2026 The Brewers held the Padres to three hits and got timely hits of their own while playing exceptional defense and gradually draining the spirit from the normally frenzied Petco crowd. — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Mojang already has an exceptional game development team that knows Minecraft and its players deeply. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 Holsteins offer exceptional milk volume, but breeds such as the Jersey cow produce milk with a greater concentration of fat and other solids. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exceptional

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exceptional

Adjective

Alongside Parton’s thousands of remarkable songs, the singer’s extraordinary life and career reached beyond music.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Hill’s departure marks the end of an extraordinary run in one of heavy metal’s defining bands.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of extraordinary

Adjective

The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
The closure is part of a project to improve access for disabled visitors and replace the library’s heating and air conditioning system.

— Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of disabled

Adjective

Workers assemble new energy vehicles at an intelligent factory of electric vehicle enterprise Leapmotor on January 13, 2026 in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province of China.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
At the same time, new responsibilities are appearing around agents, workflow orchestration, digital performance, access, oversight and the economics of intelligent work.

— Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of intelligent

Adjective

Atomic hydrogen’s unusual reactivity could potentially be useful in other areas of organic chemistry and, over the longer term, biological sciences.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
The unusual diversion also led to discussion among travelers online, some of whom shared their own experiences with restroom problems aboard flights.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of unusual

Adjective

After he was released from the hospital, 22-year-old Nicholas James Stedeford-Aaron was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger and failure to move over for emergency vehicles with injury.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
The voluntary intoxication loophole means a person may be too impaired to make a meaningful choice and still fall outside the law’s protections for incapacity.

— Ilana Turko, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of impaired

Adjective

By upgrading synthetic skin from a passive sensor into an energy harvester, the Fudan team offers a clever alternative to deadweight batteries.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Halloween is sneaking up frighteningly fast, which means the window for coming up with a genuinely clever costume is closing at an alarming rate.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of clever

Adjective

That unique gallery purchased the building in 2018 for $3 million, but officials there didn’t begin planning its future in earnest until Cap City vacated its lease and closed in July 2025.

— John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
On Saturday, the singer and talk show host took to X to share details of her recent experience at Art of Play, a store known for its collection of toys, games, books, puzzles and other unique items.

— Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of unique

Adjective

Following his speech, the video of Parton played and the beloved icon appeared on screen, as brilliant as ever.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Harnessing his brilliant writing and cinephile’s eye, Bourdain used food as an entry point to understand people and places while widening the aperture of what should be considered great.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026