1.
honor student; top student
A student who consistently achieves excellent grades and exemplary conduct.
彼女は優等生だ。
She is an honor student.
優等生ばかりのクラスだった。
It was a class full of top students.
小学校のころからずっと優等生で通してきた。
She has been known as an honor student ever since elementary school.
2.
model (person/thing); exemplary; goody-goody
Used figuratively to describe someone or something that follows all the rules and meets all expectations, sometimes with a slightly negative nuance of being too perfect or predictable.
優等生な答えだね。
That's a textbook answer, isn't it.
優等生的な対応では物足りない。
A by-the-book response just isn't enough.
あの会社は業界の優等生と言われている。
That company is said to be the model student of the industry.
Literally "excellent grade student." In its figurative use, 優等生 can carry a mildly negative undertone, implying someone (or something) is boringly correct or lacks originality.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 優等生タイプ: the honor-student type
- 優等生的な回答: a textbook answer
- 業界の優等生: the model company of an industry
- 優等生で通す: to be known as an honor student throughout
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 秀才: genius; gifted student — emphasizes innate talent, not just good grades
- 模範生: model student — focuses on behavior and conduct rather than academic achievement
- 真面目: serious; diligent — a personality trait, not a label or role