Meaning & use
above all others
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
more than any other person or thing; to a greater degree than all the rest.
Grammar: Comes after a verb or adjective, often after 'stand out', 'choose', 'love', or 'important'.
Patterns
- stand out above all others
- love someone above all others
- important above all others
She valued her family above all others.
Of all the candidates, he stood out above all others.
The team's defense was praised above all others.
Common combinations
- stand above all others
- His dedication made him stand above all others in the company.
- value something above all others
- He valued honesty above all others.
- choose someone above all others
- The coach chose her above all others for the final spot.
- rank above all others
- This restaurant ranks above all others in the city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- more than anything
- More common in everyday speech and does not need a noun after it; 'above all others' always compares with a group.
- best of all
- Focuses on quality rather than importance; 'above all others' can be about importance or quality.
Commonly confused: above all others or above all?
above all others vs above all
Means 'most importantly' and usually starts a sentence or clause, while 'above all others' compares one thing with a whole group.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'Among the many talented musicians, her voice stood ____.'
Choose one answer.
'Above all others' is the fixed phrase meaning 'more than any other'. 'Above all other' is wrong because 'other' needs a plural noun after it, and 'above others all' has the wrong word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “above all others”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.