hervorragend
excellent
Describes something of exceptionally high quality; excellent, outstanding.
EXAMPLE
Das Essen im neuen Restaurant war wirklich hervorragend.
The food at the new restaurant was truly excellent.
hervorragend
excellent / protruding
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Meanings
hervorragend
protruding
In the literal sense: physically sticking out or projecting from something.
EXAMPLE
Die hervorragende Felsnase war von weitem sichtbar.
The protruding rock spur was visible from far away.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is the present participle of the verb 'hervorragen' (to stand out / protrude), which is made up of 'hervor' (out) and 'ragen' (to tower / rise). So it literally describes something that 'herausragt' (stands out) from a group—whether through its physical form or through its quality.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat eine hervorragende Leistung gezeigt und den Wettbewerb gewonnen.
She delivered an excellent performance and won the competition.
Use as an adverb
'Hervorragend' (excellent) can not only describe a noun (attributive) or be used with 'sein' (to be) (predicative), but also function as an adverb to modify a verb. It then means 'in an excellent way'.
EXAMPLE
Die Sängerin hat die Arie hervorragend interpretiert.
The singer interpreted the aria excellently.
Typical combinations
In its main meaning, 'exzellent' (excellent), the word is often used to evaluate performances or results. Typical combinations are 'hervorragende Arbeit' (excellent work), 'eine hervorragende Idee' (an excellent idea), or 'ein hervorragendes Ergebnis' (an excellent result).
EXAMPLE
Für seine hervorragende Arbeit erhielt er eine Beförderung.
He received a promotion for his excellent work.
Context clue
The literal meaning 'herausstehend' (protruding) is rare and is used almost only in geographical or anatomical descriptions. Words like 'Fels' (rock), 'Kinn' (chin), 'Knochen' (bone), or 'Punkt' (point) in the context point to this meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Bergführer zeigte auf einen hervorragenden Felsen in der Wand.
The mountain guide pointed to a protruding rock in the wall.
Compare with
hervorragend vs ausgezeichnet
excellent / awarded
Hervorragend and ausgezeichnet both evaluate something as excellent and of very high quality. In this area, they are usually interchangeable; depending on the context, ausgezeichnet can also express an official honor, but that meaning is not relevant here. Use either word for a very positive assessment of quality.
hervorragend
Die Schülerin hat bei der Prüfung eine hervorragende Leistung gezeigt.
The student gave an excellent performance on the exam.
ausgezeichnet
Die Schülerin hat bei der Prüfung eine ausgezeichnete Leistung gezeigt.
The student gave an outstanding performance on the exam.
In real life
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