head and shoulders above

Friendly

Explanation of "Head and Shoulders Above"

Meaning: The phrase "head and shoulders above" means to be much better than someone or something else, especially in terms of skill, quality, or ability. It suggests a significant difference, as if one person is much taller than others.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use this phrase when you want to compare two or more people or things and emphasize that one is clearly superior.
• It is often used in informal conversations, but it can also be used in more formal contexts.

Example:

• "In my opinion, Sarah is head and shoulders above the rest of the team when it comes to creativity."

Advanced Usage:

• You can use it in different contexts, such as academics, sports, or any competitive environment.
• "The new software is head and shoulders above the previous version in terms of user-friendliness."

Word Variants:

• The phrase does not have direct variants, but you can change the subject of comparison.
• For example: "This novel is head and shoulders above the others in the series."

Different Meaning:

• The phrase is mostly used to indicate superiority, and it does not have alternative meanings in English.

Synonyms:

• "Far superior to"
• "Better than"
• "A cut above"
• "Leaps and bounds ahead of"

Related Idioms:

• "A cut above" – meaning slightly better or of higher quality than others.
• "Stands out from the crowd" – meaning to be noticeably different or better than others.

Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no direct phrasal verbs related to "head and shoulders above," but you can use verbs like "outperform" or "excel" to express a similar idea.

Summary:

In summary, "head and shoulders above" is a useful phrase to express that someone or something is significantly better than others in a certain area.

Academic

Adverb

1. outstandingly superior to
   • in intelligence he was head and shoulders above the others in his class