surpassing
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surpassing
Explanation
Something that's surpassing is exceptional or outstanding — much better or more than usual. A scene of surpassing hilarity in a movie might make you laugh until tears run down your face. The adjective surpassing is a bit old fashioned, and you're most likely to read it in a novel or poem. Its most common use is in the phrase "surpassing beauty," or exceptional beauty. A poet might reflect on the surpassing beauty of the sunset over the ocean, for example. To surpass is to "go beyond," from the prefix sur-, "beyond," and the Old French verb passer, "to go by."
Vocabulary lists containing surpassing
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.
Surpassing 2 degrees once or twice does not indicate a point of no return, Schmidt said.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2023
Surpassing it does not come with a reward.
From Slate • Sep. 22, 2023
Surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's nearly 40-year-old record as the NBA's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday is one of the most notable statistical achievements of the modern era and a testament to James' sustained dominance.
From Reuters • Feb. 8, 2023
Surpassing 10 percent, if an achievement, remains a low bar.
From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2023
Lizzia Nay, she was beautiful, my noble lady,— Surpassing wonderful....
From Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
