head and shoulders above

head and shoulders above — 慣用語

1. indicates that a person or thing is far better than anyone else in the same grou

1.慣用語B2
釋義

遠勝於

比其他人或事物優秀很多

indicates that a person or thing is far better than anyone else in the same group

例句

Leo's piano playing was head and shoulders above every other child at the recital.

Leo 在鋼琴演奏上的表現遠勝於其他所有參加獨奏會的孩子。

be + head and shoulders above + [comparison group]

Roya found the new library head and shoulders above the old one in every way.

Roya 覺得新圖書館在各方面都遠遠勝過舊圖書館。

find + object + head and shoulders above [something]

同義詞
  • a cut above

    Similar informal register but less emphatic; suggests noticeable but not overwhelming superiority

  • in a different league

    Same register; implies the comparison is almost meaningless because the gap is so large

  • far superior

    More formal and direct; lacks the vivid image of the idiom but works in formal writing

反義詞
  • nowhere near

    Informal direct opposite; 'His performance was nowhere near as good as hers'

  • inferior to

    More formal; appropriate in academic or business contexts

文法句型

be + head and shoulders above + [someone/something]

stand + head and shoulders above + [someone/something]

用法筆記

Always followed by a noun or noun phrase naming the group being compared. The verb 'stand' can replace 'be' in the same structure: 'This hotel stands head and shoulders above the competition.'

常見錯誤

❌This restaurant is head and shoulder above others.
✅This restaurant is head and shoulders above others.
💡the fixed phrase uses the plural 'shoulders', not the singular 'shoulder'.
❌The boy is head and shoulders above his friend.' (meaning literally taller)
✅The boy is much taller than his friend.
💡this idiom is figurative; for literal height, use 'much taller' or 'a head taller.'