exceed
Americanverb (used with object)
-
exceeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exceeded,
past participle, past
-
exceeding
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
exceeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exceeded,
past participle, past
-
exceeding
present participle
-
to be greater, as in quantity or degree.
-
to surpass others; excel or be superior.
verb
-
to be superior to (a person or thing), esp in size or quality; excel
-
(tr) to go beyond the limit or bounds of
to exceed one's income
exceed a speed limit
-
to be greater in degree or quantity than (a person or thing)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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exceedernoun
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superexceedverb (used without object)
-
exceedableadjective
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unexceedableadjective
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unexceededadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exceedsimple
-
exceedssimple
-
have exceededperfect
-
has exceededperfect
-
am exceedingprogressive
-
are exceedingprogressive
-
is exceedingprogressive
-
have been exceedingperfect progressive
-
has been exceedingperfect progressive
Past
-
exceededsimple
-
had exceededperfect
-
was exceedingprogressive
-
were exceedingprogressive
-
had been exceedingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing exceed
Power Prefix: ex-
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
LA28 officials have reported that they have collected revenues — particularly from corporate sponsorships and ticket sales — that exceed projections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Wind gusts over the sea between Iceland and the Faroe Islands could exceed 110mph but nothing this severe is expected in the vicinity of the UK.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
JPMorgan forecasts net income across the AI ecosystem to exceed $1 trillion by 2028 and free cash flow to reach $700 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
When the researchers extended their analysis to three dimensions, they found that the pressure needed for ignition could exceed the limits at which the plasma remains stable.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
If I do not exceed my quotas, I will be grateful and glad to keep on working until I do.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
But the flurry of economic measures has raised concerns over government spending in a country whose public debt already exceeds 80 percent of GDP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
That exceeds the forward free cash flow yield and the trailing free cash flow yield of 3.82%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Australian Government has invested $387 million in the SKA, while the project's total cost exceeds $2 billion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Using that measure, the BOM's average weekly data - while only going back to 2008 - is significant as it now exceeds levels during the record-breaking December of 2015.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
I cringe seeing that, once again, the stack of bills exceeds the height of the other piles.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The required quantities exceeded the materials available to Germany during the war.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
In addition, 71 percent of claims were compensated either partially or in full, with that figure rising to 93 percent for homes where the damage exceeded 150,000 euros.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Yesterday’s newsletter correctly stated that both had exceeded his thresholds but misstated what they were.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Luke said with 250 students in attendance, the response to the launch event had exceeded his "wildest expectations".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Care for these ten persons alone exceeded one million dollars,” he reported.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
In comparison Rwanda, despite its economic boom, remains a low-income country with a GDP per capita barely exceeding $1,100.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Duo features the largest iPhone screen ever, at 7.6 inches, with prices starting at about $2,000 for 256 gigabytes of storage and exceeding $3,000 for two terabytes of storage.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
It comes after scientists declared a new record for daily sea surface temperatures in the central-eastern Pacific in September, exceeding the previous record set during the very strong El Niño of 2015.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: Some of the best CD rates we found offer APYs exceeding 4.00% APY, depending on how long you agree to leave your money on deposit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
My Dictionary says superfluous means exceeding what is sufficient or necessary.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
