breathtaking – amazing, surprising, astonishing, enough to make you gasp with pleasure, and almost enough to make you forget to breathe.
choice – preferred, prized, specially selected. In New Zealand, the exclamation “Choice!” is used similarly to “Great!” in the United States.
dazzling – amazing, splendid, brilliant, shining so bright that it’s hard to see it.
delectable – highly delicious, usually describing food, from the Latin for “delight.”
delightful – causing joy, delight or pleasure, producing positive emotion, with the same Latin root as “delectable.”
deluxe – high quality, related to luxury, from the Latin for “excess.”
enjoyable – pleasant, bringing pleasure and satisfaction – bringing joy.
excellent – superior, best in its class, of the highest quality, making a person shout “Excelsior!”
exceptional – uncommon, rare, and better for being so.
exemplary – an example of high quality, a model for others.
fine – delicate, exquisite, almost as good as it gets. Related to the French and Latin words for “finished” and “exact.” Overused until often it merely means “acceptable.”
exquisite – exceptionally fine or rare, with the sense of extreme
favorable – helpful, encouraging, positive, convenient, such as getting hoped-for results.
first-rate – exceptionally good, in the highest class. Describing a British naval vessel with more than 100 guns.
first-string – the starting players on a sports team; that is, the best of them. Many other expressions begin with the word first.
five-star – from the hotel rating system in which a five-star hotel is among the world’s best.
formidable – causing awe, respect, wonder or even fear, perhaps because it’s so large or strong.
gilt-edged – high quality, from the practice of putting a thin layer of gold on the edges of a book.
gratifying – pleasing, satisfying, making someone content.
incredible – amazing, beyond belief, almost too good to be true.
luxurious – fine or comfortable, such as an expensive hotel room. I use it to show gratitude for a gift that is too fancy for my tastes.
magnificent – splendid, elegant, noble. From the Latin word for “great deeds.”
opulent – showy, extravagant, magnificent, sumptuous – more than luxurious, with the sense of “more than you really need”
pleasing – giving cheer, pleasure, or enjoyment – something that pleases you
positive – certain, good, favorable. Currently used in expressions such as “positive energy” or “positive vibes.”
precious – beloved, valuable, worthy, of high price. “Precious” writing is euphuistic: overly cute and takes itself too seriously.
prime – first, as in first quality.
rare – uncommon, scarce, and therefore valuable. The gravestone of an influential English playwright is inscribed with the (misspelled) tribute “O rare Ben Johnson”.
satisfying – sufficient, pleasing, more than adequate.
shipshape – well-organized, fully prepared, meticulous, tidy. Before you embark on an ocean voyage, you want your ship to be in shape.
sound – healthy, solid, secure, complete. If a floor is sound, you won’t fall through.
sterling – of high, verifiable value, as in sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver. Originally referring to British coins, which had a star or a starling on them in the Middle Ages.
striking – impressive, memorable, calling to mind the striking of a coin.
sumptuous – costly, expensive, as in a meal with many courses of great variety. We’ve got a whole article about sumptuous.
top-notch – belonging to the highest level, possibly from some 19th century game that used notches to keep score.
subtle – clever and crafty, though that’s an older meaning. A subtle flavor is not overbearing, and the chef will be pleased if you tell him so.
up to snuff – meeting the standard, adequate, sharp. Snuff is a more expensive powdered tobacco, which was sniffed by higher-class gentlemen as a stimulant in the 19th century.
valuable – worthy of esteem, having high worth or value.
welcome – anticipated, a pleasure to see, received with gladness, as in “welcome news.” From the Old English for “a wished-for guest.”
well-made – built right, properly constructed, sound.
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