surpass

[ ser-pas, -pahs ]

verb (used with object)

1. to go beyond in amount, extent, or degree; be greater than; exceed.
2. to go beyond in excellence or achievement; be superior to; excel:

   He surpassed his brother in sports.

   Synonyms: outstrip, beat

3. to be beyond the range or capacity of; transcend:

   misery that surpasses description.

surpass

/ sɜːˈpɑːs /

verb

1. to be greater than in degree, extent, etc
2. to be superior to in achievement or excellence
3. to overstep the limit or range of

   the theory surpasses my comprehension

Derived Forms

• surˈpassable, adjective

Other Words From

• sur·passa·ble adjective
• sur·passer noun
• unsur·passa·ble adjective
• unsur·passed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surpass¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Middle French surpasser; equivalent to sur- ¹ + pass

Word History and Origins

Origin of surpass¹

C16: from French surpasser, from sur- ¹+ passer to pass

Synonym Study

See excel.

Example Sentences

The platform announced this week it had surpassed 19 million users.

From BBC

In just one year, business reportedly almost doubled, surpassing $1 billion.

From New York Times

“In the first half, we surpassed our dives on the floor for the year.”

From Los Angeles Times

For him, "Southern society revived the genius of medieval civilization" and even surpassed it by imposing a racial hierarchy confirmed by ideas grounded in "science."

From Salon

Having jointly held the record for Tour stage wins with the legendary Eddy Merckx since 2021, Cavendish surpassed the Belgian with victory in Saint Vulbas in July.

From BBC

Related Words

• beat
• eclipse
• exceed
• outpace
• outperform
• outstrip
• outweigh
• pass
• rank
• top