unrivalled

unrivalled — adjective

1. used to describe something that is so good that no other thing can be compared t

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

used to describe something that is so good that no other thing can be compared to it or reach the same level of quality.

Example

Nadia said the hotel's service was unrivalled in the city.

collocation: unrivalled in [place/domain]

Hiro's knowledge of ancient Roman history is unrivalled among his classmates.

collocation: unrivalled among [group]

Common collocations
  • unrivalled in [domain/place]
  • unrivalled among [group]
  • unrivalled for [quality]
  • remain unrivalled
  • virtually unrivalled
  • once unrivalled
Synonyms
  • unmatched

    more common in everyday English; often used for achievements, skills, or records

  • peerless

    highly literary; suggests aesthetic or moral excellence

  • incomparable

    slightly less formal than 'peerless'; frequent in positive descriptions

  • supreme

    very strong; can be used more broadly for any top-quality thing

Antonyms
  • mediocre

    of only average quality — the direct opposite

  • ordinary

    not special or remarkable in any way

Grammar Patterns

unrivalled in [domain/place]

unrivalled among [group]

Usage Note

Common in formal writing and literary contexts. Often followed by 'in' (domain or place) or 'among' (group). The American English spelling is 'unrivaled' (one 'l').

Common Mistakes

This bakery makes an unrivalled cake.' (too vague — lacks the comparison group)
This bakery makes a cake unrivalled in the whole district.
'unrivalled' needs a domain, place, or group to show what nothing else matches.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something exceptionally good, but they differ in register and scope. 'Unmatched' (B2) is the most versatile and common in everyday English — a runner's time can be unmatched, a company's growth can be unmatched. 'Peerless' (C1) belongs to formal or literary language and often suggests moral, artistic, or spiritual excellence, as in 'peerless integrity' or 'peerless beauty'. 'Incomparable' (B2–C1) sits in between; it appears in both formal contexts and set phrases like 'incomparable value'. 'Supreme' (B2) is the broadest — it can mean 'the highest in rank or quality' and works across domains (supreme court, supreme effort). For a learner, 'unmatched' is the safest choice for most situations, while 'peerless' should be reserved for dramatic or literary effect.

unmatchedpeerlessincomparablesupreme ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • remain unrivalled
  • stand unrivalled

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') and 'rivalled', the past participle of 'rival'. 'Rival' comes via French from Latin 'rivalis', which originally meant 'a person who uses the same stream as another' — from 'rivus' (stream). A rival was someone who shared your water source, then later became a competitor. So 'unrivalled' literally means 'having no competitor'.