single out

single out — phrasal verb

  • single outbase form
  • singles out3rd person singular
  • singling out-ing form
  • singled outpast simple

1. to point to one member of a group and behave noticeably differently towards them

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to point to one member of a group and behave noticeably differently towards them compared with the rest — for example, by praising them, blaming them, or choosing them for a particular task.

例句

The teacher singled out Wei for his excellent presentation on renewable energy.

single out + for + reason (positive)

Valentina felt terrible when her boss singled out her small mistake during the team meeting.

single out + for + reason (negative)

同義詞
  • pick out

    more neutral; implies choosing without necessarily giving special treatment

  • highlight

    focuses on drawing attention to something positive; used more in writing

  • select

    formal and neutral; lacks the connotation of special (positive or negative) treatment

反義詞
  • overlook

    to fail to notice someone, often causing them to feel ignored

文法句型

single + object + out

be singled out

single out + object + for + noun

用法筆記

Often used with 'for' to state the reason for the special attention, and 'as' to state the role or label. Frequently appears in the passive voice ('was singled out') when the focus is on the person receiving the attention.

常見錯誤

❌The manager singled out the team for their hard work as a group.
✅The manager singled out Linh for her hard work.
💡'single out' means picking one individual from a group, not addressing the whole group.
❌She singled out him in the crowd.
✅She singled him out in the crowd.
💡With pronouns, the object goes between 'single' and 'out': single + pronoun + out.