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.
I never imagined that at the age of fourteen I’d excel at deception.
From Literature
Tayari Jones excels at writing novels that, regardless of how big the social issues surrounding them may be, are firmly centered on human relationships.
From Los Angeles Times
In his personal life, Yorath encouraged his children to play all sorts of sports, many of which they excelled at.
From BBC
Because the former One Direction star excels at lying low, “when he arrives, it is an event,” said Mark Adams, vice president of contemporary hit radio programming for iHeartMedia.
In this review, we’ll dig into where NordVPN excels, where the trade-offs appear, and how it compares across performance, privacy, and price, so you can decide whether it’s the right fit for your needs.
From Salon
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.
