A world-beater is a person, team, product, or company that is the very best there is — good enough to beat everyone in the world, not just everyone nearby. The picture inside the word is a competition with the whole world in it, and this one wins.

A world-beater is a person, team, product, or companyworld-beater是一個人、團隊、產品或公司 that is the very best there is是天底下最好的, good enough to beat everyone in the world好到可以打敗全世界任何人, not just everyone nearby不只是打敗附近的人. The picture inside the word這個字裡的畫面 is a competition with the whole world in it是一場全世界都參加的比賽, and this one wins而這一個贏了.

It sounds a little old-fashioned and a little sporty, the kind of word you hear from an excited commentator or read in a newspaper headline. It is not a formal word, and it is not really an everyday one either — you would not say it about your friend's cooking unless you were joking.

It sounds a little old-fashioned and a little sporty聽起來有點老派又有點運動感, the kind of word you hear from an excited commentator or read in a newspaper headline是那種你會從激動的播報員口中聽到、或在報紙標題上看到的字. It is not a formal word不是正式的字, and it is not really an everyday one either也不算是日常會說的字 — you would not say it about your friend's cooking unless you were joking除非是開玩笑，不然你不會拿它來說朋友的廚藝.

Here is the thing you should notice: in real life, this word appears most often in the *negative*. "It's no world-beater, but it does the job." "The new model isn't a world-beater." That negative use is very common — it is a gentle way of saying something is okay, honest, not embarrassing, but nothing special. So the word does two opposite jobs depending on whether there is a "not" in front of it, and the polite, modest, half-disappointed version is the one you will meet more often.

Here is the thing you should notice有件事你該注意: in real life現實生活中, this word appears most often in the negative這個字最常出現在否定句裡. "It's no world-beater, but it does the job."「這不是什麼了不起的東西，但堪用。」 "The new model isn't a world-beater."「這款新品不算頂尖。」 That negative use is very common這種否定用法很常見 — it is a gentle way of saying something is okay, honest, not embarrassing, but nothing special是一種委婉的說法，說某個東西還可以、老實講不丟臉，但也沒什麼特別. So the word does two opposite jobs所以這個字有兩種相反的用法 depending on whether there is a "not" in front of it看前面有沒有加「not」, and the polite, modest, half-disappointed version而那種客氣、謙虛、帶點小失望的版本 is the one you will meet more often才是你比較常遇到的.