outstanding

Compared meaning: of very high quality (adjective).

比较义项：形容某事物质量非常好，达到顶尖水准（形容词）。

• excellent

  The all-purpose word for very high quality; neutral and widely used across almost any context (food, service, work, health) without implying comparison to others or lasting reputation.

  适用范围最广、语气中性的“非常好”，几乎可用于任何场合（食物、服务、工作、健康等），不强调与他人比较，也不含经久不衰的意味。

  That's an excellent idea for solving the problem quickly.

  这是一个能迅速解决问题的绝佳主意。

• classic

  Describes something as a lasting, widely admired model of its type, built on tradition or reputation over time — not just currently good; used with nouns like film, dish, or design, not abstract qualities like performance.

  形容某事物是该类型中经久不衰、广受推崇的典范，其声誉建立在传统或长期积累之上，而不只是“当下很好”；常修饰电影、菜肴、设计等名词，而不是表现等抽象特质。

  This bakery's croissants have been a classic favorite in town for fifty years.

  这家面包店的牛角包五十年来一直是镇上经典的最爱。

• outstanding 本词

  Emphasizes standing out clearly above others in the same group, especially for a specific achievement or performance; often used to praise how someone did compared to peers, rather than a general trait of a thing.

  强调在同一群体中明显胜过他人，尤其用于具体的成就或表现；常用来称赞某人相对于同伴的表现，而不是泛指某事物的一般特质。

  Her outstanding performance in the final exam earned her the top score in the class.

  她在期末考试中杰出的表现为她赢得了全班第一名。

Excellent, classic, and outstanding all mean very high quality, but differ. Excellent is the neutral, all-purpose word for high quality, used anywhere. Classic means a lasting, admired model of its type, not just currently good. Outstanding means standing out clearly above others, for one performance.

这三个词都可以形容事物质量很好，但侧重不同：excellent是最常用、最中性的“非常好”，几乎能修饰任何事物；outstanding强调在同类或同伴中明显突出，常用于具体的成绩或表现；classic强调经受时间考验、被公认为该类型的典范，不一定表示眼下比别人更好。这里不比较outstanding表示“未偿还的、悬而未决的”的用法，例如outstanding debt；也不比较classic表示“某类问题的典型例子”的用法，例如a classic case of miscommunication。

Compared meaning: not yet paid (money, bills) (adjective).

比较义项：尚未付清、未偿付的（钱款、账目等）（形容词）。

• outstanding 本词

  More formal; used specifically for debts, invoices, or balances still owed, as in 'outstanding balance/invoice/debt'; rarely describes wages or unpaid labor directly.

  更正式；专门用于尚欠的债务、发票或账户余额，如“outstanding balance/invoice/debt”（未偿余额／未付发票／未偿债务）；很少直接用来形容工资或未获报酬的劳动。

  The company sent her a reminder about the outstanding balance on her account.

  公司给她发了一条关于账户上未偿余额的提醒。

• unpaid

  More neutral and everyday; describes bills, wages, work, or leave that has not been paid, including situations where no payment is expected at all.

  更中性、更常用；可以形容尚未支付的账单、工资、工作，也可以指本来就不给报酬的情况，比如无薪假。

  She took an unpaid leave to care for her sick mother.

  她请了无薪假去照顾生病的母亲。

Outstanding and unpaid both describe money still owed. Outstanding is more formal, used for debts, invoices, or balances, as in 'outstanding balance.' Unpaid is more neutral and everyday, used for bills, wages, or unpaid leave. It does not cover outstanding's other meaning, excellent or remarkable.

这两个词在“尚未付清”这个意义上很接近，但outstanding更正式，多用于债务、发票或账户余额，常见搭配是“outstanding balance/invoice/debt”；unpaid更中性、更口语化，既能形容账单、工资，也能表示“无偿的、不给报酬的”（如无薪假）。这里不比较outstanding的另一常见义项“杰出的、出色的”（如outstanding performance）。