exceed
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be greater, as in quantity or degree.
-
to surpass others; excel or be superior.
verb
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to be superior to (a person or thing), esp in size or quality; excel
-
(tr) to go beyond the limit or bounds of
to exceed one's income
exceed a speed limit
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to be greater in degree or quantity than (a person or thing)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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exceedsimple
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exceedssimple
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have exceededperfect
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has exceededperfect
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am exceedingprogressive
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are exceedingprogressive
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is exceedingprogressive
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have been exceedingperfect progressive
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has been exceedingperfect progressive
Past
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exceededsimple
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had exceededperfect
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was exceedingprogressive
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were exceedingprogressive
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had been exceedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exceed
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English exceden, from Latin excēdere “to go out, go beyond”; equivalent to ex- 1 + cede
Explanation
To exceed is to go beyond expectations, or to go too far. If you exceed the speed limit, you might get a speeding ticket. Exceed and excess share the Latin root excedere meaning to "go beyond." An excess is too much of something, like the piles of candy after Halloween, and exceed means the action of going too far in a good or bad way. You exceed in school when you get straight A's. When Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde, he experiences "a grinding in the bones, deadly nausea, and a horror of the spirit that cannot be exceeded at the hour of birth or death." No thanks! It helps to remember that like speed, exceed ends with -eed.
Vocabulary lists containing exceed
Power Prefix: ex-
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The Bill of Rights
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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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.
"Seasonal-average sea-surface temperature anomalies expected to exceed 2C in key monitoring regions," it said.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
Ullal said a total 222 leveraged ETFs launched in the U.S. this year through Friday — on pace to exceed the total of 316 that launched and stayed open in 2025.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
The 6-foot-5 guard from Baylor, whose father spent six seasons in the NBA, is trying to exceed expectations, he says during his introductory news conference.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026
Micron’s operating income in the current quarter alone is now projected to exceed the highest full-year revenue the memory chip maker has ever reported.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
The sound and intensity and time of the burn seemed to exceed the best of my black-powder combinations.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
