Standout describes the one in a group that is clearly much better than the rest — so much better that you notice it without being told. It works as an adjective before a noun (the standout performance, the standout player, the standout dish on the menu) and also as a noun on its own (she was the standout of the whole team).

Standout describes the one in a groupstandout形容的是一群人或東西裡 that is clearly much better than the rest明顯比其他人好很多的那一個——so much better that you notice it without being told好到不用人講你就會注意到。It works as an adjective before a noun它可以當形容詞放在名詞前面（the standout performance, the standout player, the standout dish on the menuthe standout performance最出色的表演、the standout player最出色的選手、the standout dish on the menu菜單上最出色的一道菜），and also as a noun on its own也可以單獨當名詞用（she was the standout of the whole teamshe was the standout of the whole team她是全隊裡最亮眼的那一個）。

It always needs a group behind it: you cannot be a standout alone, because the word means you rose above the others. It belongs to reviews, sports writing, and casual praise rather than formal writing — a food critic, a coach, a teacher talking about a class.

It always needs a group behind it它背後一定要有一個群體：you cannot be a standout alone你不能自己一個人就是standout，because the word means you rose above the others因為這個字的意思是你超越了其他人。It belongs to reviews, sports writing, and casual praise rather than formal writing它比較常出現在評論、體育寫作，還有隨口的讚美裡，而不是正式的寫作——a food critic, a coach, a teacher talking about a class像是美食評論家、教練、老師談到一個班級的時候。

Two useful details. First, it is nearly always positive; if something is noticeable for being bad, English speakers reach for other words.

Two useful details有兩個值得注意的細節。First第一，it is nearly always positive它幾乎永遠是正面的；if something is noticeable for being bad如果某個東西是因為很差才引人注意，English speakers reach for other words英語使用者會用別的字。

Second, standout praises within a set, so it is smaller praise than it sounds: the standout song on a bad album is still on a bad album. Careful speakers use exactly that to praise gently.

Second第二，standout praises within a setstandout稱讚的是一個群體裡面的表現，so it is smaller praise than it sounds所以它其實是比聽起來更小的讚美：the standout song on a bad album is still on a bad album一張爛專輯裡最出色的那首歌，還是在一張爛專輯裡。Careful speakers use exactly that細心的說話者，就是利用這一點 to praise gently來委婉地稱讚。