exceed
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be greater, as in quantity or degree.
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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
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(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
Derived Forms
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unexceedableadjective
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superexceedverb (used without object)
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exceedableadjective
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exceedernoun
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unexceededadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have exceededperfect
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has exceededperfect 3rd person singular
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have been exceedingperfect progressive
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am exceedingprogressive 1st person singular
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exceedssingular 3rd person
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has been exceedingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is exceedingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are exceedingprogressive
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exceedingparticiple
Past
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had exceededperfect
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had been exceedingperfect progressive
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was exceedingprogressive singular
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were exceedingprogressive plural
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exceededsimple
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exceededparticiple
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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The Bill of Rights
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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.
To qualify, the damage to the property must exceed $100,000 of current market value, according to the county treasurer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
These rare particles can exceed 100 exa-electron volts, or 100 quintillion electron volts.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
"Fable's capabilities exceed those of any model we've ever made generally available", it added.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Companies know they have to exceed expectations to get a pop.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
As you may recall, this axiom says that any number added to itself over and over again can exceed any other number.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
