Distinguished — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wisht/ dis·tin·guished

Meaning & Definition of Distinguished

Distinguished (adjective)

  1. marked by eminence, distinction, or excellence
  2. befitting an eminent person

Distinguished (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a formal and serious or reserved manner

    "heads turned as the well-dressed, distinguished couple strode through the hotel lobby"

    similar: august, dignified, distingué, imposing, portly, solemn, staid, stately
    related: decorous, proper, seemly, grave, grim, po-faced (British), sober, somber, aristocratic, elegant, elevated, handsome, lordly, magisterial, majestic, noble
    opposite: flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, silly, undignified
    near: coarse, crass, crude, improper, indecent, uncouth, unseemly, vulgar

  2. standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement

    "a distinguished astronomer who is widely respected in the field"

    similar: astral, bright, eminent, illustrious, luminous, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, preeminent, prestigious, redoubtable, signal, star, superior
    related: celebrated, exalted, famed, famous, glorious, honored, renowned, reputable, infamous, notorious, dominant, paramount, predominant
    near: insignificant, minor, unimportant, average, inferior, mediocre, obscure, uncelebrated, unsung

Distinguished (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to understand or point out the difference in

    "even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds"

    similar: differenced, differentiated, discerned, discriminated, secerned, separated
    related: contradistinguished, comprehended, grasped, knew, understood, divided, parted, severed, demarcated, marked (off), set off
    opposite: confused, mistook, mixed (up)
    near: confounded, lumped (together), mingled

  2. to be an important feature of

    "a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity"

    similar: characterized, marked
    related: differentiated, customized, individualized, particularized

  3. to find out or establish the identity of

    "learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra"

    similar: fingered, ID'd, identified, pinpointed, singled (out), put one's finger on
    related: diagnosed, determined, found, located, picked out, placed, recognized, spotted, checked, examined, inspected, investigated, noticed, observed, scrutinized, betrayed, disclosed, discovered, revealed
    near: camouflaged, concealed, disguised, hid, counterfeited, feigned, shammed, simulated

  4. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist"

    similar: beheld, caught, descried, discerned, espied, eyed, looked (at), noted, noticed, observed, perceived, regarded, remarked, saw, sighted, spied, spotted, viewed, witnessed, got a load of (slang), laid eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identified, made out, picked out, picked up, attended (to), considered, heeded, marked, minded, studied, watched, examined, inspected, scanned, scrutinized, surveyed, glanced (at), glimpsed, peered (at)
    near: disregarded, ignored, neglected, overpassed, passed over, missed, overlooked

  5. to arrange or assign according to type

    "on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity"

    similar: assorted, broke down, categorized, classed, classified, codified, compartmentalized, compartmented, digested, distributed, graded, grouped, pegged, placed, ranged, ranked, relegated, separated, sorted, typed
    related: arrayed, disposed, drew up, marshaled, ordered, organized, systematized, alphabetized, cataloged, filed, indexed, listed, referred, pigeonholed, shelved, identified, recognized, culled, screened, set, sieved, sifted, winnowed, clumped, clustered, colligated, recategorized, reclassified, regrouped, subcategorized
    near: confused, disarranged, jumbled, lumped, mixed (up), scrambled, misclassified, missorted, mistyped

Related Entry: Distinguish (verb)

Distinguish is a different word from Distinguished. The synonyms below are for distinguish, not for distinguished.

  1. to understand or point out the difference in

    "even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds"

    similar: difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, secern, separate
    related: contradistinguish, comprehend, grasp, know, understand, divide, part, sever, demarcate, mark (off), set off
    opposite: confuse, mistake, mix (up)
    near: confound, lump (together), mingle

  2. to be an important feature of

    "a collection of recipes distinguished by their ease and simplicity"

    similar: characterize, mark
    related: differentiate, customize, individualize, particularize

  3. to find out or establish the identity of

    "learned at an early age to distinguish the sound of a piano in an orchestra"

    similar: finger, ID, identify, pinpoint, single (out), put one's finger on
    related: diagnose, determine, find, locate, pick out, place, recognize, spot, check, examine, inspect, investigate, notice, observe, scrutinize, betray, disclose, discover, reveal
    near: camouflage, conceal, disguise, hide, counterfeit, feign, sham, simulate

  4. to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes

    "could barely distinguish the garden gate through the mist"

    similar: behold, catch, descry, discern, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, see, sight, spot, spy, view, witness, get a load of (slang), lay eyes on, set eyes on
    related: identify, make out, pick out, pick up, attend (to), consider, heed, mark, mind, study, watch, examine, inspect, scan, scrutinize, survey, glance (at), glimpse, peer (at)
    near: disregard, ignore, neglect, overpass, pass over, miss, overlook

  5. to arrange or assign according to type

    "on the exam we were asked to distinguish the specimens by acidity"

    similar: assort, break down, categorize, class, classify, codify, compartment, compartmentalize, digest, distribute, grade, group, peg, place, range, rank, relegate, separate, sort, type
    related: array, dispose, draw up, marshal, order, organize, systematize, alphabetize, catalog, file, index, list, refer, pigeonhole, shelve, identify, recognize, cull, screen, set, sieve, sift, winnow, clump, cluster, colligate, recategorize, reclassify, regroup, subcategorize
    near: confuse, disarrange, jumble, lump, mix (up), scramble, misclassify, missort, mistype

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Distinguished

The most common words with a similar meaning to Distinguished:

Slang: got a load of
august, dignified, distingué, imposing, portly, solemn, staid, stately, astral, bright, eminent, illustrious, luminous, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, preeminent, prestigious, redoubtable, signal, star, superior, differenced, differentiated, discerned, discriminated, secerned, separated, characterized, marked, fingered, ID'd, identified, pinpointed, singled (out), beheld, caught, descried, espied

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Distinguished

Words with the opposite meaning of Distinguished:

flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, silly, undignified, confused, mistook, mixed (up)

Related Words for Distinguished

decorous, proper, seemly, grave, grim, po-faced, sober, somber, aristocratic, elegant, elevated, handsome, lordly, magisterial, majestic, celebrated, exalted, famed, famous, glorious, honored, renowned, reputable, infamous, notorious, dominant, paramount, predominant, contradistinguished, comprehended

Near Antonyms of Distinguished

coarse, crass, crude, improper, indecent, uncouth, unseemly, vulgar, insignificant, minor, unimportant, average, inferior, mediocre, obscure, uncelebrated, unsung, confounded, lumped (together), mingled, camouflaged, concealed, disguised, hid, counterfeited, feigned, shammed, simulated, disregarded, ignored

Origin & Etymology of Distinguished

First known use: 1714

Words & Phrases Containing Distinguished

Distinguished Conduct Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Order, as distinguished from

Frequently Asked Questions about Distinguished

What does "Distinguished" mean?

"Distinguished" means marked by eminence, distinction, or excellence. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: marked by eminence, distinction, or excellence. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Distinguished"?

Other words for "Distinguished" include august, dignified, distingué, imposing, portly, solemn, staid and stately. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Distinguished" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Distinguished"?

There are 175 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Distinguished". Common alternatives include august, dignified, distingué, imposing, portly, solemn, staid, stately, astral and bright.

What is the opposite of "Distinguished"?

Antonyms of "Distinguished" include flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, silly, undignified, confused and mistook. Near antonyms include coarse, crass, crude and improper.

How do you use "Distinguished" in a sentence?

Examples of "Distinguished" in a sentence: "heads turned as the well-dressed, distinguished couple strode through the hotel lobby"; "a distinguished astronomer who is widely respected in the field"; "even at such a young age, he could distinguish the calls of various birds".

Is "Distinguished" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Distinguished" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Distinguished"?

"Distinguished" is pronounced /di-ˈstiŋ-(g)wisht/ and divided into syllables as dis·tin·guished.

What is the origin of the word "Distinguished"?

First known use: 1714.