Meaning & use
extraordinary person
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Meaning
phrasecountable
Someone who is very unusual, impressive, or much better than most people.
Grammar: Countable phrase: an extraordinary person, two extraordinary people; the plural is 'extraordinary people', not 'extraordinary persons' in everyday speech.
Patterns
- an extraordinary person
- be an extraordinary person
- someone is an extraordinary person
Her grandmother was an extraordinary person who learned to read at sixty.
He is an extraordinary person: calm in a crisis and kind to everyone.
The film tells the story of an ordinary teacher who does extraordinary things.
Word forms
| plural | extraordinary people |
|---|
Common combinations
- truly extraordinary person
- She was a truly extraordinary person, admired by the whole village.
- an extraordinary person in history
- He is remembered as an extraordinary person in history.
- meet an extraordinary person
- You may meet an extraordinary person when you least expect it.
- an extraordinary person with a gift
- She is an extraordinary person with a gift for making people laugh.
Synonyms and how they differ
- remarkable person
- Slightly more formal and often used in writing; it stresses that people notice and admire the person.
- exceptional individual
- More formal and neutral; common in reports and speeches, less warm than 'extraordinary person'.
- one of a kind
- Informal and idiomatic; it emphasizes being unique rather than better than others.
Opposites
Word family
- extraordinarily adverb
- In a very unusual or impressive way: extraordinarily kind.
- extraordinariness noun
- The quality of being very unusual or impressive.
Commonly confused: extraordinary person or extra ordinary?
extraordinary person vs extra ordinary
Written as two words, 'extra ordinary' means 'additional and normal', which is the opposite of the intended meaning. Keep it as one word: extraordinary.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Extraordinary' starts with a vowel sound, so it takes 'an'. Option A uses 'a' before a vowel sound; options C and D put the article in the wrong place.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “extraordinary person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.