- present participle of surpass.
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.
Surpassing the tipping point could have dire consequences not just for local communities but for global food production, the report says.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2023
Surpassing it does not come with a reward.
From Slate • Sep. 22, 2023
Surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's nearly 40-year-old record as the NBA's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday is one of the most notable statistical achievements of the modern era and a testament to James' sustained dominance.
From Reuters • Feb. 8, 2023
Surpassing 2 degrees locally means different things in different places.
From Washington Post • Aug. 18, 2019
Surpassing even these are the few sentences he addressed to his regiment after the battle of Ball's Bluff.
From Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2 by Hoar, George Frisbie
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.
