excel
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to be superior to (another or others); surpass
-
(intr; foll by in or at) to be outstandingly good or proficient
he excels at tennis
Related Words
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 Word Forms
- unexcelled adjective
- unexcelling adjective
Etymology
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”)
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.
These markets often excel at aggregating dispersed information, sometimes outperforming polls and expert forecasts of elections, economic indicators and geopolitical developments.
That was a key factor in his move to the seemingly playoff-bound Cavs, where he has only suffered one loss across seven games, and "The Beard" excelled again, providing four assists against the Knicks.
From Barron's
The former United and England midfielder knows the sacrifices needed to excel at the highest level.
From BBC
Joshi explains to parents that excelling at football could ultimately help their girls get jobs, as Indian states set aside some public sector roles for sportsmen and women.
From BBC
But his brother Craig’s memorializing of him, “Armed Only With a Camera,” is oddly uninvolving, more an excerpted flipbook of Brent’s far-flung assignments than a meaningful portrait of excelling at a dangerous job.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
