Usage patterns 秀しゅう 逸いつ な 〈 物もの 〉 a brilliant, first-rate (work, idea, expression, etc.)
The ending of this novel is a stroke of brilliance.
〈 物もの 〉 のセンスが 秀しゅう 逸いつ だ to have excellent taste or sense (in something)
Her sense of design is superb.
Kanji 秀 excel, excellence, beauty 逸 deviate, idleness, leisure Related words 優秀 also means excellent but is more commonly used for people, ability, grades, or organizations, while 秀逸 often praises the standout quality of a specific work, idea, or expression.
卓越 means surpassing or preeminent excellence and has a more abstract, formal feel, while 秀逸 is a compact evaluative word for something especially well done.
抜群 emphasizes being clearly the best among a group, such as in ability or grades, while 秀逸 focuses on the intrinsic superb quality of a specific work or expression.
秀逸 describes something outstanding or superb in a general sense, while 秀 is specifically the top rank in a formal grading scale.
秀逸 typically describes a work or piece of writing as brilliant, whereas 傑出 more often describes a person or ability that stands above the rest.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 秀 , associated with excellence or standing out, and 逸 , associated with being exceptional or surpassing the ordinary. This is a useful character-based explanation rather than a detailed historical derivation.
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