tough act to follow
Hard to match
A tough act to follow is someone or something so impressive that whoever comes next faces an unfair comparison.
The phrase comes from vaudeville and variety shows, where a spectacular performer made the next act's job harder.
It now applies broadly: Her predecessor was a tough act to follow.
Often used as praise for the one being followed.
- hardFirm or demanding
- impossibleIncapable of occurring
- benchmarkStandard for comparison
- difficultRequiring much effort
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
exemplar · best in class · one of a kind · challenging · successor · precedent · legacy · career highlight · standard · heir · replacement · awe · luminary · living legend · admiration · pressure · trailblazer · standing ovation
tough act to followlow bar
Undemanding criterion
nothing special · unremarkable · forgettable · underwhelming · unimpressive
tough, follow, tougher, toughest, toughly, toughness, toughen, toughened, toughening