surpassing
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of surpassing
Explanation
Something that's surpassing is exceptional or outstanding — much better or more than usual. A scene of surpassing hilarity in a movie might make you laugh until tears run down your face. The adjective surpassing is a bit old fashioned, and you're most likely to read it in a novel or poem. Its most common use is in the phrase "surpassing beauty," or exceptional beauty. A poet might reflect on the surpassing beauty of the sunset over the ocean, for example. To surpass is to "go beyond," from the prefix sur-, "beyond," and the Old French verb passer, "to go by."
Vocabulary lists containing surpassing
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.
That fuel, the music itself, lends these imaginings a unique power, surpassing that of any other memory trigger—your grandmother’s chicken broth, for instance, or the sitcoms of your youth.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
However, the RAI this week rose to 1.1, surpassing the levels at the start of this year and reaching the highest point since 2021.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Some forecast data is even suggesting the temperature could exceed 3C, surpassing the current known peak of 2.7C recorded in 1877.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
And while the U.S. still dominates in technology, China is rapidly catching up with artificial intelligence and surpassing the country in electronic vehicles.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
Burnham had all but given up hope of surpassing the Eiffel Tower.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
