ex·cel
(ĭk-sĕĺ)
[Middle English excellen, from Latin excellere.]
verb: -celled, -cel·ling, -cels.
transitive verb
- To do or be better than; surpass.
intransitive verb
- To show superiority; surpass others.
synonyms:
excel, surpass, exceed, transcend, outdo, outstrip These verbs mean to be or go beyond a limit or standard. To excel is to be preeminent ( excels at figure skating ) or to be at a level higher than another or others ( excelled her father as a lawyer ). To surpass another is to be superior in performance, quality, or degree: an athlete surpassed by none. Exceed can refer to being superior ( an invention that exceeds all others in ingenuity ), to being greater than another ( a salary exceeding 70 thousand dollars a year ), and to going beyond a proper limit ( exceed one's authority ). Transcend often implies the attainment of a level so high that comparison is hardly possible: Great art transcends mere rules of composition. To outdo is to excel in doing or performing: won't be outdone in generosity. Outstrip strongly suggests leaving another behind, as in a contest: a case of the student outstripping the teacher.
