distinguishing
distinguishing — adjective
1. used to describe a quality or detail that shows how one person or thing is diffe
used to describe a quality or detail that shows how one person or thing is different from others of the same type — for example, a bird's colouring that makes it easy to tell apart from similar birds.
The old lighthouse on the coast has one distinguishing feature: a red stripe painted near the top.
attributive use before 'feature'; colon introduces the specific detail
Indra's calm voice, even during emergencies, was her most distinguishing quality as a hospital nurse.
distinguishing + quality; most + superlative pattern
Jabari learned to identify the hawk by its distinguishing white stripe above each eye.
A strong smell of cinnamon is a distinguishing mark of Yuki's family kitchen.
The restaurant's most distinguishing characteristic is that it serves only dishes cooked over an open fire.
- distinctive
more general and common; 'distinctive' can describe any noticeable quality, while 'distinguishing' specifically emphasises that the quality helps separate one thing from similar ones.
- characteristic
focuses on a typical quality rather than one that sets apart; 'a characteristic smile' is simply typical, not necessarily unique.
- identifying
more active — suggests the feature is deliberately used to recognise someone or something, like an identifying number on a passport.
文法句型
distinguishing + noun (feature / mark / characteristic / quality / trait)
用法筆記
Like most attributive-only adjectives, 'distinguishing' cannot follow a linking verb. You cannot say 'This feature is distinguishing' — instead use 'This feature is what distinguishes it.'