outdo

[ out-doo ]

/ ˌaʊtˈdu /

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See synonyms for: outdo / outdone on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), out·did, out·done, out·do·ing.

to surpass in execution or performance: The cook outdid himself last night.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of outdo

First recorded in 1600–20; out-, do¹

synonym study for outdo

See excel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use outdo in a sentence

That is to say, if your content outdoes your competitors’, then their better Core Web Vitals scores won’t mean much in SERPs.
Are Core Web Vitals worth the trouble? And confusion around passage ranking; Tuesday’s daily brief|Carolyn Lyden|February 16, 2021|Search Engine Land
Many authors are lauded for successfully capturing the zeitgeist but Zweig outdid them all.
Wes Anderson’s Austrian Muse: Stefan Zweig|Lucy Scholes|February 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After an uproar that outdid any cases Monti ever had involving only humans, the case was eventually dropped.
Woman Bites Her Dog, Illinois Police Say, Charging Analise Garner With the Assault|Michael Daly|May 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
If Reinhart managed to do anything, he outdid actor James Denton in the uncomfortable witness category.
A Hung Jury for Nicollette Sheridan|Maria Elena Fernandez|March 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The ratings for his long-awaited interview outdid any French newscast since the urban riots of 2005.
DSK: the Fallout Continues|Tracy McNicoll|September 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Savary thought he outdid himself, accomplishing in one month what elsewhere would have been, even for him, the work of three.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
Mr. Webster outdid himself in giant efforts—and though old and sick, he wrought with mighty strength.
The Trial of Theodore Parker|Theodore Parker
The allies no sooner obtained possession of central Europe than they outdid its recent master in every species of exaction.
The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte|William Milligan Sloane
Miss Hope persuaded the two men to stay to dinner, and she and Miss Charity fairly outdid themselves in their cooking.
Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil|Alice B. Emerson
On the occasion that I speak of, the company was a large one, and I outdid myself in my pains to succeed.
Paul Gosslett's Confessions in Love, Law, and The Civil Service|Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for outdo

outdo

/ (ˌaʊtˈduː) /

verb -does, -doing, -did or -done

(tr) to surpass or exceed in performance or execution

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

outdo

Origin of outdo

synonym study for outdo

Words related to outdo

How to use outdo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for outdo