surpass

[ser-pas, -pahs]

verb (used with object)

to go beyond in amount, extent, or degree; be greater than; exceed.
to go beyond in excellence or achievement; be superior to; excel: He surpassed his brother in sports.
to be beyond the range or capacity of; transcend: misery that surpasses description.

Origin of surpass

1545–55; < Middle French surpasser, equivalent to sur- sur-¹ + passer to pass

Related formssur·pass·a·ble, adjectivesur·pass·er, nounun·sur·pass·a·ble, adjectiveun·sur·passed, adjective

Synonyms for surpass

2. beat, outstrip. See excel.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for surpassed

outweigh, exceed, beat, outperform, top, eclipse, rank, outstrip, pass, outpace, transcend, better, trump, outshine, cap, excel, overstep, overshadow, outdistance, outmatch

Examples from the Web for surpassed

Contemporary Examples of surpassed

First of all, both Beckham and Halliwell have surpassed the 40-year mark.
Who Is Bambi, the Artist Behind Kim Kardashian’s Wedding-Gift Portrait?
Justin Jones
June 4, 2014
Florida surpassed Texas in the number of death sentences handed down in 2013.
Florida Drags Down U.S. on Amnesty International’s Global Death Penalty Report
Nico Hines
March 27, 2014
In many ways, the red carpet has surpassed the awards themselves as the most important—and stress-inducing—aspect of Oscar Sunday.
Celebrity Stylists Dish About Dressing for the Oscars
Erin Cunningham
February 27, 2014
Their comeback would have been the second-greatest in NFL history, only surpassed by Buffalo in the 1993 Playoffs.
The Impossible Super Bowl Score: First 43-8 Football Game in a Century
Evin Demirel
February 3, 2014
Ask a Slave has currently surpassed the fundraising goal for Season 2.
YouTube, Netflix, and the Death of Television
Rich Goldstein
November 14, 2013

Historical Examples of surpassed

In all these fields Pyle's work may be equaled, surpassed, save in one.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
The result of the performance has surpassed my anticipations.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
It is the only tavern in the village, and for neatness and comfort can not easily be surpassed.
The Bay State Monthly, Vol. 1, Issue 1.
Various
But no one surpassed him in the combination of an adequate portion of these with moral worth.
Self-Help
Samuel Smiles
Meg was adorable with her children and surpassed herself in the telling of stories.
Jan and Her Job
L. Allen Harker

British Dictionary definitions for surpassed

surpass

verb (tr)

to be greater than in degree, extent, etc
to be superior to in achievement or excellence
to overstep the limit or range ofthe theory surpasses my comprehension

Derived Formssurpassable, adjective

Word Origin for surpass

C16: from French surpasser, from sur- 1 + passer to pass

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

Word Origin and History for surpassed

surpass

1550s, from Middle French surpasser "go beyond, exceed, excel," from Old French sur- "beyond" (see sur-) + passer "to go by" (see pass (v.)). Related: Surpassed; surpassing.