exceed

American  

[ik-seed] / ɪkˈsid /

verb (used with object)

1. to go beyond in quantity, degree, rate, etc..

   to exceed the speed limit.

2. to go beyond the bounds or limits of.

   to exceed one's understanding.

   Synonyms:

   transcend, overstep

3. to surpass; be superior to; excel.

   Her performance exceeded all the others.

   Synonyms:

   top, cap, beat, outstrip, outdo

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verb (used without object)

1. to be greater, as in quantity or degree.

2. to surpass others; excel or be superior.

exceed British  

/ ɪkˈsiːd /

verb

1. to be superior to (a person or thing), esp in size or quality; excel

2. (tr) to go beyond the limit or bounds of

   to exceed one's income

   exceed a speed limit

3. to be greater in degree or quantity than (a person or thing)

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Other Word Forms

• exceedable adjective
• exceeder noun
• superexceed verb (used without object)
• unexceedable adjective
• unexceeded adjective

Etymology

Origin of exceed

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English exceden, from Latin excēdere “to go out, go beyond”; equivalent to ex- ¹ + cede

Explanation

To exceed is to go beyond expectations, or to go too far. If you exceed the speed limit, you might get a speeding ticket. Exceed and excess share the Latin root excedere meaning to "go beyond." An excess is too much of something, like the piles of candy after Halloween, and exceed means the action of going too far in a good or bad way. You exceed in school when you get straight A's. When Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde, he experiences "a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death." No thanks! It helps to remember that like speed, exceed ends with -eed.

Example Sentences

"We expect these trends to continue, and we forecast that the total number of people receiving disability payments in Scotland will exceed one million by 2030-31," said the SFC.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

People itemize charitable gifts if their total allowable itemized deductions — including donations to qualified charities, mortgage interest, and state and local taxes — exceed the standard deduction.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

What Abercrombie & Fitch has done under its current management team has been impressive, but it only gets harder to “comp the comp,” or exceed past results with time.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The Games organizing group has agreed to pay any costs that exceed the city’s typical expenditures.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The speed of light is the ultimate speed limit; you cannot reach it, much less exceed it.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• eclipse
• outpace
• outstrip
• top