remarkable

remarkable — adjective

1. used to describe something very unusual, impressive, or interesting — so differe

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe something very unusual, impressive, or interesting — so different from the ordinary that people cannot help but notice it or feel surprised by it

Example

Gabriel made a remarkable recovery after his heart surgery last spring.

collocation: remarkable + recovery

It is remarkable that the old stone bridge has stood there for over two hundred years.

grammar pattern: it is remarkable that + clause

Common collocations
  • remarkable achievement
  • remarkable recovery
  • remarkable change
  • remarkable feat
  • remarkable improvement
  • remarkable ability
  • remarkable talent
  • remarkable success
Synonyms
  • extraordinary

    stronger than 'remarkable'; suggests something far beyond what is normal or expected

  • outstanding

    focuses on excellence and high quality, used mainly in positive contexts such as performance or achievement

  • notable

    more neutral than 'remarkable'; simply means worthy of being noticed or recorded

  • striking

    emphasizes immediate visual or sensory impact — something that catches the eye or mind sharply

Antonyms
  • ordinary

    describes something normal, expected, and not worth special notice

  • unremarkable

    the direct opposite; not interesting or unusual in any way

Grammar Patterns

remarkable + noun

be + remarkable

it is remarkable that + clause

find + object + remarkable

what is remarkable about X is that + clause

Usage Note

Commonly appears in positive contexts, though it can also describe something surprisingly unusual in a neutral way. The that-clause pattern (It is remarkable that…) is slightly more formal than using a direct noun collocation (a remarkable achievement).

Common Mistakes

The weather was remarkable yesterday' (for a normal sunny day).
The weather was remarkable yesterday
the sky turned green before the storm.' — 'remarkable' is a strong word for truly unusual events, not everyday occurrences.
I had a remarkable sandwich for lunch.
The chef prepared a remarkable dish with flavors I had never tasted.
Using 'remarkable' for ordinary items sounds exaggerated; save it for things that genuinely stand out.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe things that stand out from the ordinary, but they differ in strength and focus. Remarkable is the most general — it means something is so unusual or impressive that it is worth commenting on (a remarkable recovery). Extraordinary is stronger, suggesting something far beyond what is normal or expected, almost hard to believe (an extraordinary talent). Outstanding focuses on excellence and high quality, typically in positive assessments of performance or work (outstanding academic results). Notable is more neutral and often used for things worth recording or observing without strong emotion (a notable increase in prices). Striking emphasizes immediate visual or sensory impact — something that catches the eye or mind sharply (a striking resemblance to her mother). In everyday use, remarkable and notable are the most frequent; extraordinary and striking carry greater emphasis. For example: 'Her improvement was notable' (simply worth noticing) versus 'Her improvement was extraordinary' (far beyond normal expectations).

remarkable ↗extraordinary ↗outstanding ↗notable ↗striking ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a remarkable thing
  • a remarkable feature
  • a remarkable quality
  • a remarkable fact

Adverbs

  • truly remarkable
  • absolutely remarkable
  • quite remarkable
  • particularly remarkable
  • especially remarkable
  • most remarkable
  • genuinely remarkable

Phrases

  • it is remarkable that
  • what is remarkable about... is
  • find it remarkable that
  • nothing remarkable

Prepositions

  • remarkable for (its beauty, its size, its simplicity)
  • remarkable in (many ways, several respects)

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Derived from 'remark' (verb) plus the suffix '-able', meaning 'able to be remarked upon'. The verb 'remark' comes from French 'remarquer' — to mark again or to notice — from 're-' (again) and 'marquer' (to mark). Entered English in the early 1600s with the meaning 'worthy of being noticed'. The modern sense of 'unusually impressive' developed gradually from this core idea of being noteworthy enough to comment on.