surpass
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to be greater than in degree, extent, etc
-
to be superior to in achievement or excellence
-
to overstep the limit or range of
the theory surpasses my comprehension
Related Words
See excel.
Other Word Forms
- surpassable adjective
- surpasser noun
- unsurpassable adjective
- unsurpassed adjective
Etymology
Origin of surpass
First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French surpasser; equivalent to sur- 1 + pass
Explanation
To surpass means to outdo someone or something, to go beyond what was expected. If you do better than you think you will, you will surpass your own expectations. Some words seem to exist just to give an extra oomph to your speech, and surpass is one of these. While you could just say passed or even outdid" saying surpass seems to indicate that a person (or some other thing that performs, like a company) has really gone beyond anything you anticipated. People tend to use this word a lot before the words expectations and predictions among others, because of course surpassing is all about "surpassing something."
Vocabulary lists containing surpass
Grade 9, List 2
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Trumps
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This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
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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.
“Collectively, however, they can equal or surpass the monthly fees associated with a structured senior-housing community,” says Farr.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Enrollment in the privately-run plans has steadily grown to surpass enrollment in traditional Medicare plans operated by the government.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: How to find savings-account rates that surpass the national average.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
"As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
President Kennedy also wanted to know what needed to happen for the United States to surpass the Soviet Union in space.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
