x factor
x factor — noun
1. a special quality that makes a person or thing stand out and do well, but which
a special quality that makes a person or thing stand out and do well, but which is hard to put into words.
The young singer had that X factor the judges look for in a future star.
have the X factor = possess the winning quality
Alessia's warmth on stage gave her the X factor her rivals simply lacked.
give someone the X factor
Coaches argued for hours about which player had the real X factor.
The little café had an X factor that bigger, fancier restaurants could never match.
Critics agreed the film's quiet hero brought a strange X factor to every scene.
文法句型
the X factor that ...
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' or 'that' and used in the singular. Subject of the quality is usually a person, performance, product, or place that succeeds for reasons that are hard to name.
常見錯誤
2. a person, thing, or situation whose effect on an outcome is strong but cannot be
a person, thing, or situation whose effect on an outcome is strong but cannot be predicted in advance.
Heavy rain became the X factor that turned a close race into chaos.
the X factor in an outcome
In any tight election, undecided voters are always the X factor.
be the X factor
Minh believed the new striker would be the X factor in Sunday's final.
Currency swings remain the X factor no business owner can fully plan for.
A sudden storm proved to be the X factor in the climbers' rescue.
- constant
a fixed factor that does not change the result unpredictably
文法句型
the X factor in [a situation]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about an unpredictable force that decides a result, not about a desirable quality a person or product has. Subject is often a circumstance, group, or event rather than a single admired performer.