student asking question

What does "distinguish man" mean? Can "distinguish" be used as an adjective?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The actual adjective is "distinguished," which means successful, authoritative, or commanding great respect. There is a possibility the speaker has misspoken here, or that she did not enunciate the "-ed" at the end of the word clearly due to her accent. Tim Gunn is very well known within the fashion industry, hence why Heidi Klum has introduced him as a "distinguished guest." "Distinguished guest(s)" is an expression commonly found in formal speeches and letters. Ex: Distinguished guests, my thanks for your attendance at this event tonight. Ex: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien has invited many distinguished guests over the years, including former President Barack Obama.

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