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.
Apple briefly hit $5 trillion in market cap on Tuesday, surpassing Nvidia as the most valuable company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
World oil prices jumped with the benchmark international contract Brent North Sea crude surpassing $95 for the first time in nearly six weeks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Michigan has emerged as one of the hardest-hit states, with the number of cases surpassing 4,000 as of Thursday, according to its health department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Two corpse flowers nicknamed Odora and Odorysseus have bloomed at the San Marino conservatory, drawing thousands for the rare occasion and quickly surpassing last year’s numbers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Hobbits have a passion for mushrooms, surpassing even the greediest likings of Big People.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
