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Glite Dictionary
to stand out in a crowd

to stand out in a crowd

3 3.1
Make people notice you in a group
  • idiom
translation icon : destacar en una multitud
  • His bright red jacket helps him stand out in a crowd during the festival.
  • make you stand out in a crowd
  • want to stand out in a crowd

Here is the secret to stand out in a crowd from Rabbi Simon Jacobson.

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Examples

  • If you go to St. John's, you will always stand out in a crowd of applicants—no matter what you do.

    Blog text (18)

  • To stand out in a crowd this smart requires both luck and perseverance.

    Blog text (31)

  • You stand out in a crowd.

    Get Carter (2000)

  • Red would stand out in a crowd.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • You have to do more to stand out in a crowd of literally millions.

    Blog text (22)

  • Some convention protesters do whatever it takes to stand out in a crowd.

    Academic text (2016)

  • Wookiees stand out in a crowd.

    Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

  • "You'll stand out in a crowd," she assured him.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Well, I'm just saying you tend to stand out in a crowd, that's all.

    Despicable Me 4 (2024)

  • It can be a tough hiring market out there, but how far are you willing to go to stand out in a crowd of competitors?

    Blog text (32)

Synonyms

to stand out
vsto stand out in a crowd
244 3.2

To be easy to notice because you are different or better

is about being distinct among many people without implying being better
to stick out
vsto stand out in a crowd
34 3.0

To be easy to notice because it is different

is being distinct among many people without strong visual emphasis
to jump out
vsto stand out in a crowd
23 3.4

Easy to notice because it looks different or bright

is noticed among many people but less immediate or striking
to leap out
vsto stand out in a crowd
2 3.9

To be very noticeable and attract attention

is distinct among many people without necessarily grabbing strong attention

Antonyms

to blend in
20 3.7

Be similar to people or things around you so you are not noticed

to slip under the radar
  • Informal
1 6.3

To go unnoticed by people or officials

How Noticeable

to stand out in a crowd
3 3.1
to blend in
20 3.7

Surface Forms

stand out in a crowd infinitive
standing out in a crowd present participle
stands out in a crowd third person singular
stood out in a crowd past
stood out in a crowd past participle

Morphology

stand + out + in + a + crowd

The sense 'to be easily noticed' is directly derivable from combining 'stand' (to be in a position) with the particle 'out' (away from or visually prominent) plus the locative phrase 'in a crowd' which specifies the comparison set. This motion/position + particle construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'destacar entre la multitud'), so an average B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Stand out in a crowd comes from the simple image of a person who stands out above a crowd, so everyone can see them. That's why it means 'to be easily noticed or distinct among many people'.