When it comes to describing something truly one-of-a-kind or extraordinary, idioms take center stage.
These expressions are like linguistic gems, each with its own charm and meaning. Let’s explore these idioms that stand out from the crowd and make our language a bit more colorful.
What is an idiom for unique?
Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meanings go beyond their individual words. They often convey unique and nuanced concepts.
When it comes to idioms for uniqueness, they capture the essence of something exceptional, unparalleled, or out of the ordinary.
Below, we’ll break down a list of these idioms, providing their meanings and examples to help you understand how to use them effectively.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| One of a kind | Something entirely unique and incomparable. | Her artwork is truly one of a kind; you won’t find anything like it anywhere else. |
| A rare bird | Referring to a person who is unusually special or different. | Emma is a rare bird among her peers; her creativity and talents are unmatched. |
| A diamond in the rough | Someone or something with great potential or value that is not yet recognized or appreciated. | With the right guidance, he could become a diamond in the rough and achieve great success. |
| Like finding a needle in a haystack | Describing a task that is extremely challenging due to its rarity or difficulty. | Trying to locate that lost earring in the sand was like finding a needle in a haystack. |
| In a league of one’s own | Being unparalleled or unmatched in a particular field or category. | Her dedication to her craft places her in a league of her own among her colleagues. |
| A one-off | Something that occurs only once or is a unique occurrence. | The concert was a one-off event, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. |
| A breath of fresh air | Referring to something or someone who is refreshing, different, and uplifting. | The new teacher brought a breath of fresh air to the classroom with innovative teaching methods. |
| A one-of-a-kind | Similar to “one of a kind,” denoting something truly unique. | The antique shop specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture. |
| A lone wolf | Describing a person who prefers to work or act independently, without the company of others. | John has always been a lone wolf; he likes to do things his own way. |
| A rare gem | Referring to someone or something that is exceptionally valuable or unique. | Her collection of vintage books is a rare gem that bibliophiles admire. |
| A standout | Someone or something that stands out prominently due to their distinct qualities. | Among all the applicants, his resume was a standout with its impressive achievements. |
| A singular sensation | Someone or something that is extraordinary and incomparable. | The performance was a singular sensation, leaving the audience in awe. |
| A class apart | Describing someone or something that is distinguished from others in a superior way. | Her leadership skills set her apart and make her a class apart among her colleagues. |
| A cut above the rest | Something that is of higher quality or superior to others. | The restaurant’s cuisine is a cut above the rest, earning it a Michelin star. |
| A unique selling point | A feature or quality that makes a product, service, or person distinct from competitors. | The company’s exceptional customer service is its unique selling point in the market. |
| A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity | An opportunity that is so rare and extraordinary that it is unlikely to occur again. | Traveling to Antarctica was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’ll cherish forever. |
| A fish out of water | Describing someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation. | At the formal gala, he felt like a fish out of water in his casual attire. |
| A needle in a pile of hay | Similar to “finding a needle in a haystack,” describing a task that is extremely challenging due to its rarity or difficulty. | Locating the lost ring on the beach was like finding a needle in a pile of hay. |
| A black sheep | Referring to a person who is different from the rest of their family or group, often in a negative or unique way. | In a family of doctors, she was considered the black sheep for pursuing a career in art. |
| A lone ranger | Someone who operates independently or alone. | He decided to be a lone ranger in his entrepreneurial journey, starting his own company. |
| A lone star | Similar to “a lone ranger,” describing someone who operates independently or stands alone. | She was a lone star in the world of fashion design, creating her unique style. |
| A singular individual | Referring to someone who is exceptionally unique and distinct. | Jane’s ideas and creativity make her a singular individual in the art community. |
| A one-man/woman show | Describing a situation where a single person is responsible for everything. | Running a small business often feels like a one-woman show, juggling multiple roles. |
| A one-hit wonder | Referring to an artist or performer who achieves great success with one hit, but is unable to repeat it. | The ’90s band became a one-hit wonder with their catchy song, but couldn’t replicate their success. |
| A lone eagle | Similar to “a lone wolf,” describing someone who operates independently and is self-reliant. | In the world of mountaineering, she was a lone eagle, conquering peaks on her own. |
| A one-in-a-million | Something or someone that is exceptionally rare and unique. | Finding a vintage comic book in such pristine condition is a one-in-a-million discovery. |
| A trailblazer | Someone who pioneers or leads the way in a new field or activity. | Marie Curie was a trailblazer in the field of radioactivity research, breaking new ground. |
Being unique is like having a fingerprint that is one of a kind, distinguishing you from the rest of the world. For more comparisons to describe uniqueness, you can visit this link: Similes for unique. And for a variety of metaphors related to uniqueness, you can explore this link: Metaphors for unique.
Idioms for Unique
1. One of a kind
Meaning: Something that is entirely unique and incomparable.
In a Sentence: Her artwork is truly one of a kind; you won’t find anything like it anywhere else.
2. A rare bird
Meaning: Referring to a person who is unusually special or different.
In a Sentence: Emma is a rare bird among her peers; her creativity and talents are unmatched.
3. A diamond in the rough
Meaning: Someone or something with great potential or value that is not yet recognized or appreciated.
In a Sentence: With the right guidance, he could become a diamond in the rough and achieve great success.
4. Like finding a needle in a haystack
Meaning: Describing a task that is extremely challenging due to its rarity or difficulty.
In a Sentence: Trying to locate that lost earring in the sand was like finding a needle in a haystack.
5. In a league of one’s own
Meaning: Being unparalleled or unmatched in a particular field or category.
In a Sentence: Her dedication to her craft places her in a league of her own among her colleagues.
6. A one-off
Meaning: Something that occurs only once or is a unique occurrence.
In a Sentence: The concert was a one-off event, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it.
7. A breath of fresh air
Meaning: Referring to something or someone who is refreshing, different, and uplifting.
In a Sentence: The new teacher brought a breath of fresh air to the classroom with innovative teaching methods.
8. A one-of-a-kind
Meaning: Similar to “one of a kind,” denoting something truly unique.
In a Sentence: The antique shop specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture.
9. A lone wolf
Meaning: Describing a person who prefers to work or act independently, without the company of others.
In a Sentence: John has always been a lone wolf; he likes to do things his own way.
10. A rare gem
Meaning: Referring to someone or something that is exceptionally valuable or unique.
In a Sentence: Her collection of vintage books is a rare gem that bibliophiles admire.
11. A standout
Meaning: Someone or something that stands out prominently due to their distinct qualities.
In a Sentence: Among all the applicants, his resume was a standout with its impressive achievements.
12. A singular sensation
Meaning: Someone or something that is extraordinary and incomparable.
In a Sentence: The performance was a singular sensation, leaving the audience in awe.
13. A class apart
Meaning: Describing someone or something that is distinguished from others in a superior way.
In a Sentence: Her leadership skills set her apart and make her a class apart among her colleagues.
14. A cut above the rest
Meaning: Something that is of higher quality or superior to others.
In a Sentence: The restaurant’s cuisine is a cut above the rest, earning it a Michelin star.
15. A unique selling point
Meaning: A feature or quality that makes a product, service, or person distinct from competitors.
In a Sentence: The company’s exceptional customer service is its unique selling point in the market.
16. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Meaning: An opportunity that is so rare and extraordinary that it is unlikely to occur again.
In a Sentence: Traveling to Antarctica was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’ll cherish forever.
17. A fish out of water
Meaning: Describing someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation.
In a Sentence: At the formal gala, he felt like a fish out of water in his casual attire.
18. A needle in a pile of hay
Meaning: Similar to “finding a needle in a haystack,” describing a task that is extremely challenging due to its rarity or difficulty.
In a Sentence: Locating the lost ring on the beach was like finding a needle in a pile of hay.
19. A black sheep
Meaning: Referring to a person who is different from the rest of their family or group, often in a negative or unique way.
In a Sentence: In a family of doctors, she was considered the black sheep for pursuing a career in art.
20. A lone ranger
Meaning: Someone who operates independently or alone.
In a Sentence: He decided to be a lone ranger in his entrepreneurial journey, starting his own company.
21. A lone star
Meaning: Similar to “a lone ranger,” describing someone who operates independently or stands alone.
In a Sentence: She was a lone star in the world of fashion design, creating her unique style.
22. A singular individual
Meaning: Referring to someone who is exceptionally unique and distinct.
In a Sentence: Jane’s ideas and creativity make her a singular individual in the art community.
23. A one-man/woman show
Meaning: Describing a situation where a single person is responsible for everything.
In a Sentence: Running a small business often feels like a one-woman show, juggling multiple roles.
24. A one-hit wonder
Meaning: Referring to an artist or performer who achieves great success with one hit, but is unable to repeat it.
In a Sentence: The ’90s band became a one-hit wonder with their catchy song, but couldn’t replicate their success.
25. A lone eagle
Meaning: Similar to “a lone wolf,” describing someone who operates independently and is self-reliant.
In a Sentence: In the world of mountaineering, she was a lone eagle, conquering peaks on her own.
26. A one-in-a-million
Meaning: Something or someone that is exceptionally rare and unique.
In a Sentence: Finding a vintage comic book in such pristine condition is a one-in-a-million discovery.
27. A trailblazer
Meaning: Someone who pioneers or leads the way in a new field or activity.
In a Sentence: Marie Curie was a trailblazer in the field of radioactivity research, breaking new ground.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Here are 10 quizzes based on the idioms for uniqueness mentioned in the article:
Quiz 1:
Question: What does the idiom “A rare bird” refer to?
- a) A unique and exceptional person
- b) A bird that is hard to find
- c) A common bird
Quiz 2:
Question: What does the expression “A diamond in the rough” mean?
- a) A polished diamond
- b) Something valuable with unrecognized potential
- c) A rough gemstone
Quiz 3:
Question: When is a task “Like finding a needle in a haystack”?
- a) When it’s easy to find
- b) When it’s challenging due to rarity or difficulty
- c) When it’s common
Quiz 4:
Question: What does “A one-of-a-kind” refer to?
- a) Something that exists in large numbers
- b) Something truly unique and distinct
- c) An everyday item
Quiz 5:
Question: Who is described as a “Lone wolf”?
- a) Someone who enjoys group activities
- b) Someone who prefers to work independently
- c) Someone who has many friends
Quiz 6:
Question: What is the meaning of “A standout”?
- a) Something ordinary and unremarkable
- b) Something that stands out due to distinct qualities
- c) Something that blends in with the crowd
Quiz 7:
Question: What does “A unique selling point” refer to?
- a) A feature that makes a product distinct from competitors
- b) A feature common to all products
- c) A feature that makes a product cheap
Quiz 8:
Question: When is an opportunity “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”?
- a) When it happens frequently
- b) When it is rare and exceptional
- c) When it is not worth pursuing
Quiz 9:
Question: What is the meaning of “A black sheep”?
- a) Someone who follows the crowd
- b) Someone who is different from their group, often negatively
- c) Someone who is always successful
Quiz 10:
Question: Who is a “Trailblazer”?
- a) Someone who follows the established path
- b) Someone who pioneers and leads in a new field
- c) Someone who avoids challenges
Answers:
- a) A unique and exceptional person
- b) Something valuable with unrecognized potential
- b) When it’s challenging due to rarity or difficulty
- b) Something truly unique and distinct
- b) Someone who prefers to work independently
- b) Something that stands out due to distinct qualities
- a) A feature that makes a product distinct from competitors
- b) When it is rare and exceptional
- b) Someone who is different from their group, often negatively
- b) Someone who pioneers and leads in a new field
Conclusion
These idioms for unique situations, individuals, and opportunities add depth and color to our language. Each one encapsulates the idea of standing out, being extraordinary, or experiencing something truly exceptional.
