exceed
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be greater, as in quantity or degree.
-
to surpass others; excel or be superior.
verb
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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
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to be greater in degree or quantity than (a person or thing)
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
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.
Since then, they have found that if they didn’t use all of their repair budget one year, they were likely to exceed it the next year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
That level of consumption can exceed the needs of entire small cities.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
His hitting stats along with his pitching stats have to exceed the threshold of winning a Cy Young and MVP on pitching alone?
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
The oil market was well-supplied before the Iran conflict, with the International Energy Agency estimating that global supply could exceed demand by nearly 4 million barrels per day in 2026, a record annual surplus.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Whereas chiefdoms’ populations range from a few thousand to a few tens of thousands, the populations of most modern states exceed one million, and China’s exceeds one billion.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
