outperform

American

[out-per-fawrm] / ˌaʊt pərˈfɔrm /

verb (used with object)

to surpass in excellence of performance; do better than.

a new engine that outperforms the competition; a stock that outperformed all others.

outperform British

/ ˌaʊtpəˈfɔːm /

verb

to perform better than (someone or something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outperform

First recorded in 1955–60; out- + perform

Explanation

To outperform is to accomplish something in a better or more impressive way that someone else. In a marathon, the younger runners usually outperform the very oldest ones. Whenever you surpass or beat the record of another person, you can say you outperform them. Experienced workers frequently outperform newer employees, and pundits like to worry aloud about students in other countries who outperform American kids on standardized tests. You can also say that an investment that makes more money outperforms a less profitable one.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It reiterates an outperform rating on PLS and raises its target by 13%, to A$6.20/share, to reflect the inclusion of a P2000 project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

But three things have since changed for Intel, according to Lipacis, who upgraded the stock to outperform from in-line following Thursday afternoon’s earnings report.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Managers who demonstrate this skill can significantly outperform otherwise similar funds, and this outperformance reaches close to 2% per year following quarters in which managers make large changes to their factor exposures.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

As a highly volatile, liquidity-sensitive asset, Bitcoin tends to outperform when investors are willing to lean into risk, making its momentum a useful barometer for general market conditions.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Or that the upper triple-A-rated floor of some subprime mortgage bond would outperform the lower, triple-B-rated, floor.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023