excellent

see definition of excellent

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 adj superior, wonderful
accomplished
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Common
Informal
Synonyms for excellent
adj superior, wonderful
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accomplished
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admirable
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s tar

attractive
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distinguished
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exceptional
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exemplary
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exquisite
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fine
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finest
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first-rate
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s tar

good
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great
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magnificent
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outstanding
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skillful
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s tar

sterling
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superb
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superlative
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A-1
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capital
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certified
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star

champion
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choice

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choicest
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s tar

desirable

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distinctive
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estimable
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first
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first-class
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high
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incomparable

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invaluable
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meritorious
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notable
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noted
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s tar

peerless

star

piked
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star

premium

star

priceless
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star

prime

star

select
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star

striking
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supreme
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tiptop
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top-notch
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transcendent

Antonyms for excellent

 bad
 common
 crude
 detestable
 ignorant
 inferior
 insignificant
 ordinary
 poor
 regular
 repulsive
 ugly
 unable
 unexceptional
 unknown
 unskilled
 failing
 imperfect
 indistinguished
 second-class
 second-rate
 unnoteworthy
 unworthy
More words related to excellent
ace
adj. exhibiting expertise in some activity

 brilliant
 champion
 distinguished
 excellent
 expert
 first-rate
 great
 master
 outstanding
 superb
 virtuoso
aces
adj. great

 excellent
 fabulous
 peachy
 wonderful
admirable
adj. held in great respect

 A-1
 A-OK
 ace
 attractive
 best ever
 cat's pajamas
 choice
 commendable
 cool
 copacetic
 crackerjack
 deserving
 dream
 estimable
 excellent
 exquisite
 fine
 good
 great
 greatest
 hunky dory
 keen
 laudable
 meritable
 meritorious
 neat
 out of sight
 out of this world
 peachy
 praiseworthy
 rare
 solid
 super
 super-duper
 superior
 unreal
 valuable
 wicked
 wonderful
 worthy
 zero cool
advanced
adj. ahead in position, time, manner

 avant-garde
 breakthrough
 cutting-edge
 excellent
 exceptional
 extreme
 first
 foremost
 forward
 higher
 late
 leading
 leading-edge
 liberal
 precocious
 progressive
 radical
 state-of-the-art
 unconventional
beautiful
adj. physically attractive

 admirable
 alluring
 angelic
 appealing
 beauteous
 bewitching
 charming
 classy
 comely
 cute
 dazzling
 delicate
 delightful
 divine
 elegant
 enticing
 excellent
 exquisite
 fair
 fascinating
 fine
 foxy
 good-looking
 gorgeous
 graceful
 grand
 handsome
 ideal
 lovely
 magnificent
 marvelous
 nice
 pleasing
 pretty
 pulchritudinous
 radiant
 ravishing
 refined
 resplendent
 shapely
 sightly
 splendid
 statuesque
 stunning
 sublime
 superb
 symmetrical
 taking
 well-formed
 wonderful
beauty
noun. advantage

 asset
 attraction
 benefit
 blessing
 boon
 excellent
 feature
 good thing
 importance
 merit
 value
 worth
101 EFFECTIVE WORDS TO USE IN RECOGNITION
979

By Darcy Jacobsen

I have an ongoing love affair with words. This

earns me a fair amount of teasing from my co-workers, because in my effort to choose just the
right word, I often grab a 10 cent word or something arcane that no one has used in conversation
since 1906. Snickering usually ensues. But I brave it.

I endure it because I know the amazing value of getting the word right. Words have simple, but
tremendous power. The right combination can move you to tears or rage. They can diffuse a
volatile situation and they can make someone beam with happiness.

Not everyone is as big a word geek as me, though, so I thought I would pull together a list of
some terrific words to consider as you compose your own employee recognition messages.
Sometimes when we need inspiration most, we find ourselves unable to come up with anything
better than “great” or “excellent”. Below is a list of some powerful words that have been proven
to have impact and may be just what you need to give your message life. Consider using them to
make your recognition more pithy and effective.

Let’s start with five core words you should always consider including:

You – According to experts, “you” is the most powerful word in the English language. I reckon
the translations of “you” are probably the most powerful words in every other language. Why? It
makes things personal and relevant. it gets people’s attention. It also prompts you, as the writer,
to really think about the verb that will follow the word “you”. “You really blew us away with the
innovation you showed on the Lewis project, Tom.”
Names – No, not the word “names”, but the name of the person you are talking to. Studies have
proven that your brain lights up when it hears your name. I recommend you use names not as a
salutation, but in the middle of your message, where it is more personal and less likely to be
glossed over. “That was a masterful presentation that you gave on quantum theory, Nate. We
were very impressed.”
Because – Because is a great word because it always precedes a proof point. It means you’re
backing up what you have to say with specifics—and that makes it more credible and more
powerful in prompting repeat behavior. “Mark, because of your effort to build rapport with this
client, we were able to save their account.”
Thanks – It’s the classic. But you’d be surprised how few people actually use the word thanks,
or thank you. This may be because it puts the speaker in a slightly more vulnerable position,
admitting they are indebted. But you ARE indebted. The whole point is to acknowledge
it! “Thank you for your unfailing support for new ideas, and your passion for excellence, Tom.”
Results – Using the word results (result, resulting, or something like it) shows that the action
your employee undertook had a measurable impact, and that you recognize their hard work in
pursuit of that outcome. In social recognition, where peers will see the message, this also lets
everyone else know what an effective impact the employee has had. “The result of all of your
effort, Nina, was a 25% increase in call volume over the past month.”
And here are 96 other words that I hope might help to inspire you as you write. (Some of them
could fit in more than one category.)

Words for Effort

Overcome, succeed, excel, achieve, grasp, generate, develop, design, productive, accomplish,
volunteer, produce, discipline, create, resolve, execution, triumph, victory, complete,
masterpiece, conquest, initiative, outcome
Words for Quality
Organize, improve, excellence, exceptional, striking, aware, brilliant, elegant, eloquent,
intuitive, strong, outstanding, merit, talent, distinction
Words for Attitude
Thoughtful, responsible, creative, energetic, enthusiastic, resourceful, motivated, dedicated,
innovative, reliable, vibrant, wise, flexible, versatile, consistent, considerate, commitment,
confidence, imagination, passion, tenacity
Words for Leadership
Capable, oversight, vision, navigate, command, conduct, cutting-edge, star, champion,
vanguard, role-model, respect, direction, insight, inspiring, admired, courageous, engaging,
enterprising, invincible, masterful
Words for Teamwork
Help, support, benefit, advocate, save, encourage, revive, dependable, reliable, prepared,
cooperation, advice, fortify, sponsor
What are some of your favourite words to use in recognition?
30 Ways to Say “Great Job”
May 10, 2013

We know it’s important to give positive feedback in response to a job well done. Simple
recognition of effort can be a fantastic reward that provides continued motivation for future
tasks. But sometimes it seems to get tedious to keep saying “great job” over and over,
especially if you work with a large team.

For truly exceptional work that exceeded expectations

Excellent work must always be recognized and differentiated as such. High
performers are intrinsically motivated by doing excellent work and producing something that
impresses others. When that credit is not given, over time they will redirect their effort and
contributions towards work that does meet that need for high achievement.

1. Brilliant job!
2. Outstanding work!
3. This is truly above and beyond.
4. We are thrilled to have you on our team and this is exactly why we need you.
5. This is superb! I had no idea a document could look this good.
6. To be honest, when we started the project I wasn’t sure we could pull this off but you
certainly did it and did it well.
7. We are so fortunate to have an innovator like you on our team.
8. This is so great I think others could benefit from learning about it. Can I share your
work at our team meeting/with my peers/with my boss, etc.?
9. You set a high bar with this one.
10. This showcases you are a role model and leader in our organization.
For work completed fairly, accurately, and on time
It is true that this is an expectation that comes with the job—to get work done without error
and within deadline. This work still deserves appreciation and recognition, although at a
more moderate level. You don’t want to overstate the contribution, but you do want to
acknowledge that the effort it took to complete the assignment is not being taken for
granted.

11. Thank you!

12. Good work, as always.
13. Thanks for getting this done.
14. You are a lifesaver.
15. Thank you for pulling everyone/everything together on such short notice.
16. I appreciate you getting this to me so quickly so I have time to review it.
17. Thanks for your help today.
18. Thanks for your good work this week.
19. Thanks for stepping up and getting this done for us.
20. I don’t know what I would do without you.

For a job well done

Last but certainly not least—and in fact, most work will fall in this category—is work that
delivers more than the minimum but is not quite out of this world. The goal here is to
recognize that it is good work but you don’t want to muddle the feedback to sound like it
could be one of the other two categories.

21. Perfect!
22. Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for.
23. Wonderful, this is more than I expected.
24. This is so great I don’t need to make any revisions to it at all.
25. I appreciate your critical thinking around this project.
26. Well done—and ahead of deadline too!
27. You are such a team player.
28. You are so creative—I always love getting your perspective on things.
29. You consistently bring your all and I truly appreciate that.
30. I am so proud/glad/lucky to have you part of my team.

However you choose to say it, don’t skip it. Positive feedback makes us feel recognized and
appreciated, it identifies what we have done right (and thus gives us a clue to what we
should do more of), and it makes negative feedback and constructive criticism easier to
accept and integrate.