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

If wedding guests exceed this limit in their gift to the couple, they must file a Form 709 — although there is a total lifetime tax-free gift allowance of $13.99 million.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 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

Bruce, whose boat, Budding Rose, is based in the Scottish port of Peterhead, estimates the extra costs over a year could exceed £100,000.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

They said that if I nurtured these qualities, I would achieve or even exceed my extraordinary potential, and this wasn’t just a good thing, but a great thing.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Related Words

• eclipse
• outpace
• outstrip
• top