Cool MateExcellent vs Really great
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Excellent
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
Really great
InformalTop 1,000 (very common)
Most formal: Excellent
| Excellent | Really great | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈeksələnt/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈeksələnt/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈrɪəli ɡreɪt//🇺🇸 //ˈrɪli ɡreɪt// |
| Meaning | very good or great | Very good or excellent. |
| Example | Her performance in the play was excellent and received a standing ovation. | The movie was really great and I enjoyed every minute of it. |
| Register | Neutral | Informal |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | appear, be, look, most, really, truly, at, for | really great time, really great job, really great meal, really great news |
| Antonyms | poor, bad, substandard | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'excellent' in a negative context (e.g. 'That was an excellent mistake')., Confusing 'excellent' with 'excellently' (adverb form) in the wrong context., Overusing it when 'good' or 'fine' would suffice. | Using it in a formal context, like a business email., Confusing it with just 'great' which might sound too neutral., Using it with negative sentences, e.g. 'It's not really great.' |
| Usage notes | Use 'excellent' to describe something that is of very high quality. It is appropriate in both spoken and written English. Avoid using it in overly casual contexts where simpler terms might be more fitting. | Used in casual conversation to emphasize positivity. Not suitable for formal written language. |
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Frequently asked questions: Excellent vs Really great
What's the difference between Excellent and Really great?
Excellent: very good or great Really great: Very good or excellent.
Which is more formal: Excellent and Really great?
Excellent is the most formal of these.
Can you show an example of each?
Excellent: Her performance in the play was excellent and received a standing ovation. Really great: The movie was really great and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Can I use Excellent and Really great interchangeably?
Not always. Excellent and Really great are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.