excel

[ ik-sel ]

/ ɪkˈsɛl /

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See synonyms for: excel / excelled / excelling / excels on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), ex·celled, ex·cel·ling.

to surpass others or be superior in some respect or area; do extremely well: to excel in math.

verb (used with object), ex·celled, ex·cel·ling.

to surpass; be superior to; outdo: He excels all other poets of his day.

OTHER WORDS FOR excel

2 outstrip, eclipse, transcend, exceed, top, beat.

See synonyms for excel on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of excel

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French exceller, from Latin excellere, equivalent to ex- ex-¹ + -cellere “to rise high, tower” (akin to celsus “high”)

synonym study for excel

2. Excel, outdo, surpass imply being better than others or being superior in achievement. To excel is to be superior in some quality, attainment, or performance: to excel opponents at playing chess. To outdo is to make more successful effort than others: to outdo competitors in the high jump. To surpass is to go beyond others, especially in a contest as to quality or ability: to surpass one's classmates in knowledge of corporation law.

OTHER WORDS FROM excel

un·ex·celled, adjectiveun·ex·cel·ling, adjective

Words nearby excel

Excedrin, exceed, exceedance, exceeding, exceedingly, excel, excellence, excellency, excellent, excelsior, Excelsior Springs

How to use excel in a sentence

The drill and impact driver themselves are powered by brushless motors and are designed to be lighter and more compact than traditional alternatives, which allow them to excel in tight spaces and during repetitive jobs.
The best, most practical Valentine’s Day gifts for any kind of partner|PopSci Commerce Team|February 8, 2021|Popular-Science
Settings, where a smaller-than-average toaster oven might excel, include small apartment kitchens, auxiliary kitchens, entertaining spaces, RVs, offices, bars, and more.
Best toaster oven: Save counter space and time with our toaster oven picks|Julian Cubilllos|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science
Fullbright, a video game studio based in Portland, has long excelled at weaving compelling stories that focus on places and the people that inhabited them.
The making of ‘Open Roads,’ a game about mothers, daughters and road trips|Elise Favis|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
The Swiss company has excelled in producing computer products since 1981, and it has emerged as a leading manufacturer of affordable mechanical keyboards with a wider range of choices than gamer-focused Corsair.
Best mechanical keyboard: Game, code, type, and work smoother and faster|PopSci Commerce Team|February 4, 2021|Popular-Science

It was an outlet for us to excel and deal with our frustration, and all that.
Boris Kodjoe: Teach Racial History|Eugene Robinson|February 2, 2021|Ozy
Life seemed to have little meaning; a need to excel was almost gone.
How His West Point Football Experience Inspired Eisenhower|Nicolaus Mills|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Can it be exported to Excel, or a comma-separated file, for instance?
Self-Tracking for N00bz|Jamie Todd Rubin|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In her own way, Woodley is inspiring young women to succeed and excel.
Lana Del Rey and the Fault in Our ‘Feminist’ Stars|Amy Zimmerman|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of her deputy chiefs of staff keeps track of the tracker, an Excel spreadsheet, she says.
Obama’s Hidden Power Player|Eleanor Clift|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It made my journey a longer one, but I really wanted to excel in the theater.
Meet the Red Viper: Pedro Pascal on Game of Thrones’ Kinky, Bisexual Hellraiser|Marlow Stern|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
English connoisseurs suffer those of no other nation to excel them in their collections.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
At his best period, however, his instruments are of rare beauty and merit, and equal or perhaps excel those of Stradiuarius.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
All decorative painting, carving, and inlaying is done by them; in short, they excel in all ingenious mechanical arts.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
Great actions command admiration, and none of modern times excel those of the patriot exile, Parson Brownlow, of Tennessee.
Portrait and Biography of Parson Brownlow, The Tennessee Patriot|William Gannaway Brownlow
The English excel in pantomime as much as the French in comedy.
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808|Lt-Col. Pinkney

British Dictionary definitions for excel

excel

/ (ɪkˈsɛl) /

verb -cels, -celling or -celled

to be superior to (another or others); surpass

(intr; foll by in or at) to be outstandingly good or proficienthe excels at tennis

Word Origin for excel

C15: from Latin excellere to rise up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

excel

OTHER WORDS FOR excel

Origin of excel

synonym study for excel

OTHER WORDS FROM excel

Words nearby excel

Words related to excel

How to use excel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for excel

Word Origin for excel